HISTORY OF THE HARRISON EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

In November and December of 1981, the town Board of Harrison appointed a committee to study and recommend the improvement of emergency medical services in Harrison. This committee recommended the creation of a Volunteer Ambulance corps for Harrison and subsequently in January 1982, the Town Board of Harrison appointed an Emergency Medical Service Committee whose function would be "to prepare an overall plan as to the direction of an Emergency Medical Service," beyond the scope of the ambulance service then in operation and "to examine all the alternatives and formulate a proposal to the Town Board."

The Committee had 6 meetings - the first one on February 5, 1982 and the last one on April 5, 1982. The Committee was headed by Captain Albert Klein. At the final meeting of the Committee, members of the Board of Directors were nominated an approved and were then approved by the town Board. The first meeting of the Board of Directors wa held on May 5, 1982 at which time Louis M. Klein was elected Chairman of the Board.

The Corps began operation in April of 1982 and by June 1, 1982 was operating 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

On January 25, 1984 a $225,000 Bond Issue was approved by Harrison taxpayers to construct a permanent headquarters for the Corps which had been operating from St. Vincents Hospital and then from Star Farm part of the Texaco property. The Headquarters would be on grounds adjacent to the Police Station, corner of North Street and Pleasant Ridge Road. The building was completed by April; 19985 and the Corps officially moved in May 1, 1985.

On June 1, 1999 we became a self-sufficient ALS Care Provider. With over 14 Paramedics, we now provide advanced and basic care to our residents without the need to contract out to commercial services who are not familiar with the Town.

We have the most state-of-the-art equipment on board all of our Ambulances and Paramedic Response Vehicles. All of our Paramedics must be trained in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support, which most agencies do not hold this standard of care.

In April 2001, we saw the need for an additional ALS unit to be put into place due to an increase in our call volume. Now for the 1st time, we provide Harrison with 2 Advanced Life Support Ambulances.

We are currently operating 2 Advanced Life Support Ambulances from 8 am to midnight, Monday threw Friday and a single unit on the overnights and on weekends. Our staff is made up of Full-time career EMT's and Paramedics as well as per-diem EMT's and Paramedics. Our volunteer staff has declined, but we still have several volunteers who pull duty when they are available and supplement our operation