South Amboy First Aid Squad

06/29/2026

SEE THE LIGHTS? PULL TO THE RIGHT!

When you see/hear an emergency vehicle behind you, the best practice is to PULL TO THE RIGHT and yield the right of way by SLOWING DOWN! Often we see vehicles with emergency lights that aren’t so common in many agencies… Why is that?

In the State of New Jersey, our volunteers must seek the written permission of their City to possess a permit that allows us to outfit our personal vehicles with blue or blue/white emergency lights to respond to emergencies. These are common with Volunteer Fire and EMS agencies, just like ours!

All of our members who don blue/white emergency lights in their personal vehicles possess a valid permit to use such equipment. We are not allowed to have sirens or run intersections with these lights. This does not automatically give us the right of way. This is a privilege to have as a Volunteer.

If you see us on the road, we ask that you pull to the right and slow down! Help us help your neighbors by allowing the necessary resources and personnel to arrive safely at our Station to deploy our Ambulances and other essential apparatus!

Our First Responders often handle errands from home and take the time out of their day to leave family and friends in pursuit of public safety and health when a medical request to 911 has been made.

It may be someone you know who needs help. Do your part. Help your neighbors.

#911

05/18/2026

Happy EMS week 2026 to all of our providers and friends.

02/08/2026

Congratulations to Tony Fulwider on passing his NREMT and obtaining his EMT Certification. Congratulations from everyone at SAFA and the community alike everyone looks forward to seeing what comes next for you!

Tony Fulwider was sworn into SAFA on June 14, 2022, quickly showing a strong commitment to service and professional growth going through SAFA to eventually being elected Chief Driver. Throughout his time with SAFA, he has continued to build the skills and discipline pursuing his goal of becoming a career firefighter in New Brunswick, where he will continue serving his community at a higher level. We are proud to support his journey and look forward to seeing the impact he will make in the fire service and the community of South Amboy!

01/26/2026

With yesterday’s snowstorm,

🚨 SAFA initiated a 24-hour standby beginning at 5:00 AM on 1/25/26 and concluding at 5:00 AM on 1/26/26.

🚑 During this standby, SAFA staffed two crews at all times, with additional personnel available should extra hands have been needed.

🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️ Our standby consisted of 10 members who rotated crews throughout the standby. Each crew was staffed with four members at a time.

❄️ Throughout the standby, SAFA was dispatched to six medical emergency calls.

🙂 We are happy to report there were no motor vehicle accidents on the slippery, snow-covered roads!

📢 Dispatches #1–5: SAFA provided emergency care to all patients, and all were transported to local area hospitals.
📢 Dispatch #6: This was a mutual aid request; SAFA Unit 602 was canceled prior to patient contact.

💙 We would like to thank all of our dedicated members for their time and service.
🧡 We would also like to thank everyone who stayed safe & off the roads during the weather advisory.
🚒 Special thanks to Protection Eng. 6 () for coming out to help SAFA with snow removal to get a patient out of their home, we appreciate you & all your help!

☃️ We hope everyone enjoyed the snow!

📸 Pictured here are SAFA ambulances 602 and 606 at HMH Perth Amboy Hospital at the same time!

01/25/2026

01/25/2026

Thank you to our friends at Old Bridge Township EMS for the tips and reminder

As we brace for the upcoming winter storm, we want to remind our followers of simple tips to help keep you and us safe:

- Call 911 ONLY for true emergencies. Such as Motor Vehicle Accidents, sudden onset Respiratory or Cardiac issues, Stroke, Seizures, etc. We want to be available for those who truly need us. Calling 911 because you have "Flu-like symptoms" or for something that's been "Going on for a while" burdens already busy/crowded ambulances and emergency rooms. This only get exacerbated in potential blizzard conditions that we have to drive in to get to you.
- If you DO require EMS, please clear a path up to the front door for our crews, stretcher and other equipment, if possible. This helps us out TREMENDOUSLY.
- The closest appropriate emergency department will be utilized for transport. This is even more practical in bad road conditions. We don't want to have to drive a farther distance any more than you would want to, unless a further hospital is absolutely necessary, based on the current issue.
- If there is a power failure, DO NOT CALL 911 to inquire restoration times. Contact your provider.
- If utilizing space heaters, have them plugged directly into wall outlets, NOT power strips due to risk of fire hazard. And keep them away from flammable materials.
- Generators should NEVER be used in an enclosed space due to CO exposure risks. Place them outside and away from structures/windows.
- Stay home and stay warm. Keep vehicles in driveways and avoid travel. Let our public works and emergency services do their thing without extra obstacles.
-Check on elderly neighbors to make sure they are safe and have what they need.

We hope everyone remains safe during this storm. Your OBTEMS providers will still be here for you as quickly as we can throughout and beyond.

01/15/2026

🚑 Ambulance Transport Clarification🚑

There seems to be some confusion regarding patients dictating where our ambulance must transport them. We’d like to clarify how this works.

Under New Jersey EMS standards, ambulances transport patients to the closest appropriate emergency department based on medical need.
Patient preference alone, including “I always go there” or “my doctor is there” does not require EMS to go to a farther hospital. A good example of this is if you fall and hurt your ankle, just because your cardiologist is at a specialty hospital does not mean that is the closest appropriate facility for your current issue.

For most emergencies, that means you will be transported to our area hospitals; Old Bridge Medical Center, Bayshore Medical Center or Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy depending on your geographic location. All three are fully capable, state certified emergency departments.

As the EMS provider for our 1.5 square mile town, unnecessary long transports can leave our residents without an available ambulance for the next emergency that arises. That could cost someone their life.

🚨 When specialty care is medically required (Certain stroke calls & cardiac calls, major trauma, burns, maternity, etc.), patients are transported to the appropriate specialty center along side Advance Life Support (Paramedic) services. Which are usually Jersey Shore, Robert Wood Johnson, or JFK.

If there is no medical need to go farther, options include:
• Closest appropriate hospital by ambulance
• Private vehicle
• Declining ambulance transport

This is legal, medically appropriate, and standard across New Jersey EMS.

Thank you for supporting us, in our efforts to provide the best care possible for all our residents.

01/04/2026

Congratulations to the following for achieving the status of Emergency Medical Technician prior to the New Year! REGULAR MEMBER Avinash Yadavalli & CADET MEMBER Nick Tierney both obtained their EMTs just a few days before the turn of 2026!

Regular Member Avinash Yadavalli plans to gain knowledge and experience in emergency pre-hospital medicine as he studies his way through to becoming a physician in the future! Pre-hospital medicine is a great foundation to build from and is best to learn how to operate under pressure.

Cadet Member Nick Tierney is interested in becoming a Firefighter in the future and also will be gaining valuable experience in emergency services with SAFA.

Congratulations again to these two new EMTs for completing their courses and becoming both state and nationally certified! They both will hit the road and begin their training with our Squad’s more experienced EMTs to become the independent providers they were meant to be.

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Are you interested in becoming an EMT? Find yourself guiding patients and calming those who worry. It’s more than just giving back to the community. It’s a passion and a dynamic field that creates a more compassionate and secure community. It’s guiding those who believe that the end is near. It’s ensuring survival, a second chance. Become South Amboy’s face of pre-hospital medicine. Join. Volunteer. Serve. This is your call. Will you answer it?