JACKSON – It has been one year since the township emergency medical service began its full-time duties and the governing body marked that anniversary recently with a proclamation.
EMS Chief Al Couceiro was presented a proclamation for the EMS by Councilman Alex Sauickie on behalf of Mayor Michael Reina during a recent council meeting.
“Each year residents and visitors to our community may require emergency medical care for traumatic injuries, burns, poisonings, spinal cord injuries, heart attacks and other critical medical emergencies,” Sauickie said, reading the proclamation.
Jackson Township First Aid Squad had been in operation since 1953 and on March 1, 2020 Jackson EMS took over full time operation for seven-days-a-week service for the entire township. They began just days after the COVID-19 global pandemic was declared.
Sauickie said Jackson EMS has handled at least 325 cases related to the coronavirus health crisis.
Jackson EMS is currently staffed with 34 emergency medical technicians, and three other employees including its chief. Since taking over the day time service the unit has responded to 3,337 day time calls with an overall total of 4,880 calls in 2020.
“The citizens of our community benefit greatly from the knowledge, skills and dedication of these emergency service medical specialists as they work to ensure prompt and appropriate treatment at the scene on the way to the hospital. Jackson EMS has received over 30 compliments from those they have served in the community since March 1, 2020,” Sauickie added.
“Your unwavering commitment to Jackson Township is invaluable and deeply appreciated,” Councilman Sauickie told Couceiro and the EMS staff present at the council meeting.
Chief Couceiro said, “I am just one person in charge of a very large group of people. I am nothing without the group I am with. I can’t thank the volunteers as well as the day time staff for everything they do for us and our community. I thank the Mayor and Council for this and everything you do for us.”
Councilman Nino Borrelli noted that in recent months there had been two “devastating house fires. I want to ask everybody and their fellow residents to keep these families in your thoughts.” He noted that GoFundMe pages had been created to help the families impacted by the fires.
The sites can be found at gofundme.com/f/help-the-harmony-rd-fire-family and gofundme.com/jackson-township-house-fire. They are also available on the township website jacksontwp.net.
Vaccine Update
Councilman Borelli said he had been in touch with Ocean County Commissioner Gerry P. Little and the Ocean County Health Department in an effort to get the COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to a venue in Jackson. He said this was being done “so our residents don’t have to travel so far to get them.”
He noted that a vaccination site had been established at the Jackson Senior Center. That site had been scheduled for April 16 and was to administer the Johnson & Johnson single dosage vaccine. However, there were a few incidents of blood clots nationwide so the state has hit pause on allowing that vaccine.
“They are holding up on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and they have pretty much postponed that vaccine throughout the state. Governor Murphy made the release and the county also informed us that they are holding off on it,” Mayor Reina said.
Borrelli added that there were links on the township website about vaccine sites and a possible future clinic being brought to the township. The Rite Aid on Prospect Road and two CVC pharmacies in Jackson are administering COVID-19 vaccines. “Supplies are very limited and they may not even be doing appointments but I wanted to get that information out.”
The councilman added that with the arrival of spring, he was encouraging residents to “get out and enjoy the town’s beautiful parks and recreational areas and I’d like to thank our township employees for maintaining those areas.”
