New London EMS group receives needed support
By John Faucher
Last year, the New London Area First Responders were paged more than 900 times to assist people in need of emergency medical services.
The unpaid volunteer 14-member group provides early response EMS aid in New London and surrounding towns of Mukwa, Lebanon and Caledonia. They also assist police and fire personnel on a variety of calls.
On Wednesday, July 12, the group received a $4,000 donation from the Shamrock Club of New Dublin.
“That is a major donation for us,” said New London First Responders Secretary Julie Considine.
“We feel privileged to volunteer in the community.
This much appreciated and generous donation from the Shamrock Club makes it possible for us to continue to do what we love to do,” she said.
In 2002 the New London and Mukwa First Responders merged and became one group, the New London Area First Responders.
“When I was asked to join the group about five years ago, I did not realize the volunteers were unpaid and the group received no operating funds from the state, county or city,” said Considine. “I was amazed that the group relies 100 percent on donations to continue their mission. If they couldn’t raise enough funds, they just did without or purchased what they needed with their own money.”
Ongoing expenses include training costs, equipment, radios, medical supplies and certain medications that they may administer.
“Our EMT volunteers often arrive before the contracted ambulance service to emergency calls and may treat and stabilize a patient for up to 30 minutes before an ambulance is available,” said Considine.
The group has applied and received some grant funding in the past, however fundraising is still necessary to support ongoing expenses.
Considine said the group has recently been engaging with civic organizations and municipalities to educate them on the role of First Responders and how they operate in the communities they serve.
She said one of their greatest needs at the moment is finding a secure climate controlled storage area to use as a base of operations for gear, medical supplies and equipment.
Currently they store items in a member’s house and hold their monthly business meetings at the New London Area Chamber of Commerce office.
To learn more visit RespondNewLondon on facebook.com. Donations to the New London Area First Responders can be mailed to PO Box 131, New London, WI 54961.