Date estimated

Township says ‘yes’ to helping aid squad

by Tom Lederer
Staff Writer

A proposal for paid daytime personnel on the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad received a very positive endorsement from the Princeton Township Committee last Wednesday.

The committee unanimously passed a resolution reading that it “will provide funding for paid First Aid and Rescue Squad personnel, one paramedic and one emergency medical technician, in cooperation with the Borough of Princeton, no later than Jan. 1, 1980.”

That commitment was considerably stronger than that given earlier by the Borough Council, which committed itself only to provide “some funding,”
leaving in question whether the council would provide its full share if the squad cannot find some outside source of money for the two positions.

While the township commitment was firm, both squad and committee members agreed there were a lot of loose strings, particularly what the paid people should do when they are not on call.

The committee is expected to discuss possible arrangements to have at least one of the people work in some sort of relationship with the Medical Center at Princeton. So far talks with the hospital have been unsuccessful, squad members reported last Wednesday.

The average yearly cost of the two full-time squad workers is estimated at $32,500.

“I have no trouble about appropriating the money in 1980,” said Committeeman David Blair. “By just weighing that in balance with other things we pay for I am confident we can wring it out of the budget.”

The committee left open the possibility that funding could begin as early as Nov. 1, by way of an ordinance providing an emergency appropriation.

The recommendation for the full-time paid daytime help was made by a joint special committee, formed last year to study the squad’s needs. The most crucial problem was the lack of daytime volunteers, which has in the past sometimes required an out-of-town squad to come in because no manpower from The Princeton squad was available.