Last year, through the generosity of residents and town officials, the Weehawken Volunteer First Aid Rescue Squad was fortunate enough to purchase three defibrillator devices, which enable people in heart distress to receive emergency treatment at the scene of the occurrence.
But the squad was still short one device.
“We always like to have a backup,” said Tom Cheplic, the squad’s vice-president. “We really like to have four of everything, just in case something happens to one. You never want to get caught short. We were contemplating a fourth purchase.”
The problem was the cost – a defibrillator goes for $3,000. For a squad the size of Weehawken’s that relies solely on donations and grants for its funding, the chance to purchase another device was slim .
However, the squad was able to find a source for funding from the state.
Cheplic said that the squad is part of the New Jersey First Aid Council, an organization that promotes volunteerism within the ranks of emergency medical training.
“Whatever you do within the ranks of a volunteer first aid squad, there are significant costs,” Cheplic said. “In terms of education, training, equipment and materials. For some squads, it is very significant. So the state established a training fund, with the funding coming from a surcharge on motor vehicle violations. The training fund enabled for squads to receive training and education.”
The fund was generally used for prospective members to receive their training classes free of charge. However, recently, the state began to look at other ways to better utilize the funding.
“The state was looking for ways to expand the training fund and the next big issue was the purchase of defibrillators,” Cheplic said. “So they decided to open up the fund this year in order so volunteer squads could purchase defibrillators. Some squads have a real tough time financially and cannot afford to get them. We were fortunate enough to get them for the first time last year.”
Jeff Welz, the president of the squad, who also serves as the public safety director in town and the co-director of the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, had to present the necessary paperwork to receive the dispensation from the fund.
Last week, the squad welcomed its latest acquisition, a new state-of-the-art defibrillator, the Laerdal HeartStart FR2, with automated instructions on how to use it properly. The machine actually talks the EMT through every step of the life-saving process.
“This came at a very opportune time for us,” Cheplic said. “We were considering buying one, but at $3,000, it’s costly, so this absolutely helps us. We have the newest equipment on the newest vehicles. Through the generosity of our residents, as well as the mayor and council, we’ve been able to have that for 32 years.”
Welz credited Cheplic’s efforts in securing the funds to purchase the device.
“By being our delegate to the state council, Tom was able to find out about the program,” Welz said. “Because of his efforts and the efforts of former Governor Whitman and the State Department of Health, we were able to get the funding. It’s going to be a big help to the squad.”
The devices have been in use in Weehawken since last July, in time for the OpSail 2000 celebration along the Hudson River. Cheplic said that the device has been used on an average of once a month since it was purchased.
“Of all of the different kinds of heart attacks, the most common is ventricular fibrillation, which is an abnormal chaotic heart rhythm,” Cheplic said. “It prevents the heart from pumping blood properly. The defibrillator enables us to give a shock that will restore the heart rhythm and allow regular CPR [cardio pulmonary resuscitation] to continue. It really has made things easier for us in terms of saving lives.”