good work Mahwah Ambulances and Police on this emergency call!!

Rumor has it that Mayor Laforet is looking to get rid of the Volunteer Mahwah Ambulance Corp and replace it with a private company in order to save tax dollers. If this is true, this would be terrible. Incidents like this and others around town are the reasons why we need our own Ambluance team who work hard and are dedicated as well as volunteers. Great work Mahwah Ambulance Corp. You provide a great service, and our prayers go out to the people who were involved. Get well soon.

why doesn't the media ask the mayor if he intends to close the Ambulance Corps? Is it a big secret?

Mahwah Ambulance is proud to serve the town for free. This motor vehicle collision is just one example from the more than 1,000 emergency responses made by the squad each year.

Gregory Antonetti
Captain
Mahwah Ambulance & Rescue Squad Co. #1

I believe that The Record said he was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson (?). If that is actually the case, why was he not taken to much closer Good Sam in Suffern or Valley in Ridgewood. In an emergency time is of the essence. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Richard, legitimate question. It is the paramedic's call. Since the medevac helicopter had already been contacted the transit time between the local hospitals by ambulance and St. Joe's isn't that much different. Also, given the type of injuries he suffered a hospital like Valley probably would have been overwhelmed and he would have needed to be transported to a trauma center later.

St. Joseph's has one of the best trauma units in the area. I do not now what Valley or Suffern are like. I know if I was in the accident I would want to go to St Joseph's.

A number of variables come into play when a first responder is making a "transport decision". The nearest hospital would not always be the best choice. If we are transporting a patient that we suspect is having a possible stroke, we would want to take that patient to hospital that is a certified stroke center. A patient that has suffered a severe traumatic injury should be transported to a trauma center.

When a decision is made to call in a helicopter to transport a patient the ultimate decision as to where the patient will be transported falls to the flight crew and/or their medical director. Most people may not realize that when we rendezvous with a helicopter we are in essence transferring care to the flight crew. At this point the EMTs' work is done. The EMTs (the volunteer members from Mahwah) and the Paramedics (hospital based Mobile Intensive Care Unit) do not accompany patients once they are aboard a helicopter.

Gregory Antonetti
Captain
Mahwah Ambulance & Rescue Squad, Co #1

I just have an observation to make, although it is very limited from a number of years ago. Whenever, the old man next door needed an ambulance two ambulances arrived at his house. I vaguely remember that they were from the town and the Valley hospital. It seemed redunant to me. Was this a rare occurrence?

And all this dsicussion started on a "rumor." Has anyone confirmed that the Mayor is seriously thinking about closing the volunteer ambulance corps?

apparently this question is off limits

Doesn't the response to the accident in the above article seem grossly excessive with respect to medical response?:
"Emergency workers from Fuchs Ambulance, a company that serves the college, Mahwah Ambulance, Mahwah Fire, Valley Hospital, NJSP Medevac helicopter, and Mahwah Police responded to the accident."

If I still lived in NYC, in an emergency there would be only one EMS ambulence responding. One good ambulance is enough! Please correct me if I am wrong!

Additionally, according to the following listing from the State of NJ, he was only sent to a Level II trauma center: at St. Josephs

Level I Trauma Centers
•UMDNJ-University Hospital, Newark
•Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick
•Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden

Level II Trauma Centers
•Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack
•St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Paterson
•Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City
•Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown
•Capital Health System at Fuld, Trenton
•Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune
•AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Atlantic City

Can someone in the medical field familiar with medical emergencies explain the difference in the type of response provided, and that which would have been provided in a Level I trauma facility?????

Hank - Someone above said that they sent the Mobile Intensive Care unit from Valley to the accident.

From the Valley website they say:
Our Mobile Intensive Care Unit

Since 1983, The Valley Hospital Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) has provided paramedic services to our northwestern Bergen County community 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our staff of highly-skilled paramedics brings a unique blend of technology, professional expertise, human care and concern directly to the scene of accidents and medical emergencies. The Valley Hospital’s MICU is a progressive and ever-growing unit being one of the first in the State of New Jersey to implement advanced airway management procedures, such as Rapid Sequence Intubation utilizing paralytic medications, and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). Our philosophy is to provide our community with the highest quality and the most up-to-date healthcare modalities possible.

I further understand that these units are stationed in Wyckoff and Saddle River---not far away.

The Valley Hospital questions telephone number indicated that a determination as to what to send is made by the nature of the call. They dont' send everything, and then make a determination of what they need.

I know this gets to be complicated, but it still appears that there might be overkill. That is probably why medical expenses and taxes are so high in this state.

Hank - I just spoke to the Good Sam Hospital in Suffern---only 9 minutes driving time from Mahwah. (The helicopter takes time to get to Mahwah, and additional time to get the patient to St. Joseph's in Paterson. Plus the advertised ER waiting time at St.Joseph's is noted as 25 minutes average.)

And the clincher is that Good Sam is a Level II trauma center just as is St. Joseph's.

If I you go to Good Sam for any reason you are already in a Level II trauma center. If I am in an accident, please send me to Good Sam.

What do you have to say about this info.?

Is it possible that we in this town need to review our emergency procedures even further????

Dick,next time you need emergency personel call the post office

So much misinformation. Did anyone know there were "two" patients in this accident?
Also Valley Paramedics don't transport patients. Become a volunteer and serve
and LEARN!!