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Saint
Clair Veterans Memorial Ambulance Fund
SAINT
CLAIR VETERANS MEMORIAL AMBULANCE IS PRIMARILY A 100% VOLUNTEER
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCE SERVICE PROVIDING PRE-HOSPITAL
EMERGENCY CARE FOR THE BOROUGH OF SAINT CLAIR AND SURROUNDING
AREA'S.
CURRENTLY
WE OPERATE TWO (BLS) AMBULANCE LOCATED OUT OF TWO STATIONS
WITHIN OUR COVERAGE AREA. ONE STATION LOCATED WITHIN SAINT
CLAIR BOROUGH ITSELF AND THE OTHER LOCATED IN MILL CREEK (E.
NORWEGIAN TWP.) LOCATED SOUTH OF SAINT CLAIR BOROUGH.
PRE-HOSPITAL
EMERGENCY CARE IS NOT THE ONLY SERVICE WE PROVIDE HOWEVER.
SCVMA STARTED THE FIRST UNIT DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR FIRE FIGHTER
REHABILITATION SERVICES ON FIRE SCENES FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY AND
A 4 COUNTY AREA OUTSIDE OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. ALTHOUGH
THIS SERVICE IS NO LONGER "OFFICIALLY" IN SERVICE, ON
AVERAGE WE ARE STILL REQUESTED TO RESPOND TO AT LEAST 8 MAJOR
INCIDENTS A YEAR. A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE "REHAB'S"
CALL VOLUME, HOWEVER AS I STATED, IT'S NO LONGER
"OFFICIALLY" IN SERVICE. WHEN CALLED UPON
THOUGH, WE STILL RESPOND.
MOVING
ON! OH YES, THERE'S MORE! SCVMA IS ALSO ONE OF THE
TWO MASS CASUALTY RESPONSE SERVICES FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY,
PENNSYLVANIA. WE OPERATE A SQUAD RESPONSE VEHICLE FOR OUT
OF TOWN RESPONSES WHICH IS EQUIPPED TO TREAT AND FULLY
IMMOBILIZE UP TO FIFTY PATIENTS. IN TOWN RESPONSES WITH A
COMBINED FULL STATION RESPONSE WE CAN TREAT UP TO SEVENTY FIVE
PATIENTS.
OUR
SQUAD IS ALSO SET UP WITH SOME LIGHT RESCUE TOOLS, BRUSH FIRE
TOOLS (Ex: INDIAN TANKS, RAKES, SHOVELS), REHAB EQUIPMENT AND
TWO FULL SETS OF HIGH ANGLE RESCUE ROPE GEAR WHICH IS ALSO
ANOTHER SERVICE WE PROVIDE FOR THE AREA.
RECENTLY
WE HAVE ALSO BEEN LOOKING INTO STARTING ANOTHER SERVICE FOR THE
AREA. OUR MOST RECENT PURCHASE COMES IN THE FORM OF A
GERMAN SHEPARD SEARCH DOG. WE HAVE BEEN TOSSING AROUND THE
IDEA OF POSSIBLY STARTING UP A SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM FOR OUR
AREA. WITH SAINT CLAIR BEING LOCATED IN A VERY MOUNTAINOUS
AREA WE FEEL THAT A SEARCH AND RESCUE WOULD BENEFIT THE AREA.
MOST
RECENTLY HOWEVER SCVMA HAS ACQUIRED A FIRE DEPARTMENT,
PURCHASING "EAST NORWEGIAN TWP. EMERGENCY SERVICES"
LOCATED IN MILL CREEK, E. NORWEGIAN TWP. SCVMA HAS
BUILT A BRAND NEW STATION AND ALSO PURCHASED A NEW FIRE ENGINE.
FOR ALL OF THE FIRE BUFFS OUT THERE WHO LOVED THE MOVIE "BACKDRAFT"®
YOU OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T LOVE IT AS MUCH AS WE DID, BECAUSE WE WENT
OUT AND BOUGHT ENGINE 17 FROM THE MOVIE.
AS
TIME GOES ON WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR BIGGER AND BETTER WAYS TO
IMPROVE BOTH THE AMBULANCE AND FIRE SERVICE. WITH EACH
DAYS COMES IMPROVEMENT AND IN THE END IT ALL LEADS TO BETTER
EMERGENCY CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
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