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At the April 2021 Wood-Ridge Mayor and Council meeting, Ordinance No. 2021-7 was passed establishing the Wood-Ridge Fire Department and the Wood-Ridge Emergency Squad as separate organizations. The Wood-Ridge Emergency Squad is no longer a branch of the Wood-Ridge Fire Department.
The Wood-Ridge Fire Department Emergency Squad was a branch of the WRFD and had been providing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to the borough of Wood-Ridge and surrounding communities since 1937.
The WRFD Emergency Squad utilized two ambulances (EMS 906 & EMS 907) to answer medical calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using an all-volunteer force and responded to over 700 EMS incidents a year. Firefighters were members of the Emergency Squad and were trained to Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) levels. The WRFD also had EMS only members who are certified EMTs.
| Emergency Squad History |
The Wood-Ridge Fire Department Emergency Squad was organized in February, 1937 when a group of firemen began taking first aid classes under the guidance of Everett Shorter of Carlstadt. Upon completion of this course, they proceeded to raise funds with which to purchase an ambulance. After considerable hard work, they secured an old Pierce-Arrow ambulance which they renovated and painted and then turned over to the borough. The first call was answered that very day. The first election in February, 1937 resulted in the following slate of officers: Captain - William Fowler; 1st Lieutenant - Ernest Rohlfs; 2nd Lieutenant - John Scott; Secretary/Treasurer - William Kour. In 1940, the ambulance began to show considerable wear and a request to the borough for a new ambulance was made. The question of purchasing the new ambulance was placed on the ballot and the people voted for this purchase by a large margin. In 1941, the Emergency Squad received a new Cadillac ambulance which was equipped to carry two patients, if necessary. In 1955, a new Cadillac ambulance was purchased to replace the 1941 Cadillac. This unit had a four patient capacity. 1967 saw the third Cadillac ambulance placed in service, replacing the 1955 Cadillac. In 1975, the first modular ambulance (906) began serving the borough. The unit was a Horton modular unit placed on a Chevy chassis. In 1986 this unit was completely refurbished. The modular unit was redone and placed on a new Chevy chassis. In 1991, a new Ford / P&L Custom modular ambulance was placed into service (906). In 1997, a used 1989 Ford / P&L Custom modular ambulance was placed into service as second rig (907). This unit was replaced in 2000 with an American LaFrance / Medic Master ambulance. January 2005 saw the retirement of the department's last Type III ambulance with the second American LaFrance / Medic Master Heavy Duty Type I ambulance (2004 model) taking its place. In 2019, the Emergency Squad took delivery and placed into service a 2019 Ford F-450, Road Rescue Type 1 ambulance and retired 906 due to mechanical issues. This left the department riding with two "907s". At the April 2021 Wood-Ridge Mayor and Council meeting, the Wood-Ridge Fire Department and Wood-Ridge Emergency Squads became separate organizations with the passage of Ordinance No. 2021-7. The Emergency Squad had been a branch of the Fire Department for 84 years.
WRFD EMERGENCY SQUAD PAST CAPTAINS
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