Every time that fog horn in the center of Verona blasts four times twice in a row, it’s another call for the Verona Rescue Squad. The horn blows a lot; four times a day on average. It all adds up to more than 1,300 calls this year alone.
But this year is coming to a close soon, and so is your opportunity to help a service organization that is comprised entirely of volunteers. You know who they are: Look at the picture on the Rescue Squad’s home page and you’ll see the faces of your friends and neighbors. They take care of all our medical emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and they do it for free.
But it costs money to run the Rescue Squad, and that is where you come in: The Rescue Squad depends on donations and as of December 6, only 33% of Verona residents had contributed to its 2010 fund raiser. You don’t even need to dig out the envelope the squad sent you to help. Just drop a check made out to the Verona Rescue Squad through the mail slot at the squad house, 12 Church Street, just off Bloomfield Avenue. Or use the donation page on the squad’s Web site to send funds electronically.
Jeff Shilling, chairman of the squad’s membership committee, would also like you to take a minute to think about joining the Verona Rescue Squad. The squad accepts both youth and adult members, for day and evening shifts. Youth members (ages 16 to 18) commit to one night per week from 6 p.m. until no later than 11 p.m. Adults can either become regular member (one 12-hour shift per week), or an associate member who commits to one 6-hour shift per week. There is a scheduled volunteer crew assigned to every night of the week from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
There are openings on the squad now for both day and evening shifts. If you live in Verona and want to join the squad, Shilling encourages you to send an e-mail to [email protected] or leave a message on their answering machine at 973-857-4760. You can also download a membership application from the Verona Rescue Squad’s Web site.
