2012

Another Santa Parade Brings Smiles to Fanwood Children

The 2012 Santa Parade through Fanwood occured under sunny skies and mild temperatures. Thanks to squad members Karolyn Buckridee, Jeff Downing, Brian Downing, Ben Gechtman, Bob Hoyer, Tom Kranz, Joan Lozowski and Dan Strachman for escorting Santa and his helpers on the Fire Department.

Squad Steps Up Against Hurricane Sandy

What “standing by” looks like. Left to right, Liz Buckridee, Nancy Mustachio, Karolyn Buckridee, Rob Villegas (sleeping), Ben Gechtman and Ian LewisHurricane Sandy struck New Jersey on October 29, 2012, bringing destruction to the shore, taking down power for 2.7 million people and killing 39.  In Fanwood, power was lost late in the day on October 29th. It returned for a few people a couple of days later, for more people after a week and for everyone after 13 days. There were no deaths or injuries in Fanwood due to the storm. However, about a dozen homes suffered damage because of downed trees. The Rescue Squad provided coverage at the building beginning October 29th through Friday, November 2nd. One crew–Capt. Tom Kranz, EMT Robert Levine and EMT Joan Lozowski, spent the night at the building when the storm was at its peak. We answered 43 calls for service from Oct. 29 through Nov. 9.

Frank’s Auto donates new HDTV to Squad

Capt. Tom Kranz presents a certificate of appreciation to Frank and Tracy Constandi of Frank’s Auto Repair/Auto Body during the October 2nd general meeting for their donation of a new 55″ HDTV and associated hardware.  The Constandis are regular supporters of the squad’s community CPR program each May.

Squad receives $1,000 donation from Chelsea

 Capt. Tom Kranz and EMT Joan Lozowski accepted a $1,000 donation from Chelsea Senior Living following Chelsea’s annual golf outing to benefit volunteer responders on Sept. 25th. At right, Joan putts on the 18th hole. She won in the women’s categories for longest drive, closest to hole and lowest score.

Fanny Wood Day 2012

National Night Out at LaGrande Park

Thanks to Rob, Elizabeth, Karolyn and Omar for manning the ambulance for the Night Out event on August 7th.

Choir Festival Raises Over $2,000 for Local Rescue Squads

The Fanwood Presbyterian Church recently raised $2155.00 to benefit the rescue squads of Scotch Plains and Fanwood through the Fanwood Choir Festival at the church on May 20th. The event, which coincided with National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week raised the funds through a freewill offering of the attendees and participants.

“The Scotch Plains Rescue Squad will be using the proceeds to offset the cost of our new Rehabilitation Vehicle,” said Dan Sullivan, Captain. “We are eternally grateful to the Fanwood Presbyterian Church and the members of the Fanwood Choir Festival for the recent event.”

Tom Kranz, captain of the Fanwood Rescue Squad, said the funds will be used for new communications equipment and general operating expenses. He added: “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your efforts. The concert was absolutely fantastic, with such a professional sound…it actually gave me goosebumps.”

The Fanwood Choir Festival, which fell on the first day of National EMS Week, featured singers from Scotch Plains, Fanwood, and other communities, as well as guest conductors, creating an inspiring choral repertoire. The concert program included the music of Brahms, Lewandowski, Rutter, Faure, Courtney, and others.

“My husband Toshi and I are longtime members of the SPF community, and we greatly admire the work of the Rescue Squad, so this concert was a way to support their work,” said Carolyn Gibson, who is also Assistant Principal of The Pingry Lower School in Short Hills. “Although neither one of us is an accomplished singer, we found spiritual uplift in the music and the shared work of rehearsals under the encouraging hand of Music Director Tom Berdos. As a bonus, our grad student son Masayuki, a 1998 SPFHS graduate, coached us and lent his trained voice to the church bass section. We thank Tom and the church for letting an outside family ‘crash the party’ of good fellowship to raise our voices in sacred music.”

National EMS Week, this year May 20th-26th, was first proclaimed by President Gerald Ford in 1974, and was designed to acknowledge the work of EMTs, paramedics and first responders for their crucial work in beginning the cycle of emergency medical care for sick and injured people.

Memorial day 2012

EMT Ian Lewis was honored by Fanwood Borough Council on March 20th for his actions aboard a cross country airliner that helped save the life of a passenger. Fanwood Borough Councilman Kevin Boris proclaimed March 20th, 2012 Ian Lewis Day in his honor.

The event happened when a  cross country business trip for Lewis was cut short over the midwest on February 26th when he jumped into action to help save an unresponsive passenger.

Lewis, a senior project manager for Sena Systems, a technology consulting firm, was flying from Newark to Santa Ana, CA, in a seat towards the rear of the United Airlines plane. While over Missouri, Lewis heard a commotion coming from the area outside the rear restrooms. A flight attendant had checked up on a passenger who was inside one of the lavatories for a long time and found her unresponsive.

The passenger, an 82-year old woman, was moved onto the galley floor where Lewis began CPR. The flight crew brought out an automated external defibrillator (AED) and a first aid kit that contained some equipment and medications to treat cardiac arrest.

“Fortunately, there was a CCU [cardiac care unit] nurse on the plane who was able to start an IV and administer lidocaine and epinephrine,” said Lewis, referring to medications typically used to help jumpstart the heart. “The woman had no pulse and wasn’t breathing.”

Lewis advised the flight crew to land the plane as soon as possible.

The AED, which gives automated voice prompts to rescuers, did not administer any shocks, and the woman remained unresponsive. Lewis continued CPR for about 45 minutes, the time it took to land the plane in Kansas City and get local EMS on board to transport the woman to the hospital.

Because of patient confidentiality rules, little information was available on the victim. However, Kansas City police and fire officials confirmed the patient had a pulse and respiration during transport to the hospital.

“It was all about being in the right place at the right time,” said Lewis. “Having a CCU nurse on board to administer the meds and another nurse helping out made it a team effort.”

2012 Awards Dinner, Berkeley Plaza

This year’s awards dinner featured one of our largest guest attendances in years including several life members, a number of our police officers, Mayor Mahr and members of the borough administration and council and officer of the Scotch Plains and Westfield Rescue Squads. Service awards were given as follows:

Five Years

  • Patty Buckridee
  • Bob Hoyer

Ten Years

  • Melissa Padulsky
  • Jeff Pate

1,000 Calls

  • Melissa Padulsky

CPR Saves

  • Dan Kranz (3 total)
  • Tom Kranz (10 total)
  • Robert Levine (2 total)
  • John Oatis (5 total)