The Verona Rescue Squad has tallied up its calls for 2023 and they show that Verona’s volunteer first responders remain as much in demand as ever.
The VRS responded to 1,348 in 2023, down from 1,406 in 2022 and 1,401 in 2021. Its volunteers answered 99% of all calls for service in Verona. (Rescue Squad members are not paid and the VRS does not charge Verona residents for responding to emergencies.)
The dip in responses was deliberate, says President Ricky Tempesta. “We were more restrictive about providing mutual aid,” he says. A mutual aid call is when first responders in one town help out those in another by either responding to the emergency or by staffing that town’s ambulance building or fire station while its volunteers are out. “There just aren’t enough ambulances in Essex County,” Tempesta says.
While Verona remains committed to mutual aid, it is being more judicious in its out-of-town responses at times when its own resources might be thin. In January and February it tends to have fewer volunteers available to handle what is usually more calls than in the spring. There was a day last week when the volume of calls was beyond what the on-duty crew could handle and the VRS had to call up its second- and third-line crews. “We’re one of the strongest Rescue Squads in the county,” Tempesta says.
That wasn’t always so. In 2015, the VRS failed to respond to some 300 calls, often because it didn’t have enough members during the day. But a push for new volunteers rebuilt its ranks and in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it missed just 12 calls. The VRS allowed out-of-towners join and, instead of requiring volunteers to commit to a 12-hour shift, it allowed them to make a shorter commitment. It trained more high school students as volunteers, which has helped to give the VRS a larger pool of talent in the summer months. And in summer, VRS members have access to free family memberships at the Verona Pool. “That has helped us to retain volunteers,” Tempesta says.
Verona’s strength stands in sharp contrast to other towns. The Cedar Grove Rescue Squad shut down during the pandemic and the town had to turn to a taxpayer-paid ambulance service. It has reopened, but under an agreement reached in 2023, Cedar now shares coverage with the paid, privately run Montclair ambulance service. Montclair covers daytime calls and Cedar Grove volunteers have the overnight shift. More than 10 volunteer rescue squads across New Jersey closed in 2023.
In 2024 the Verona Rescue Squad will be looking forward to the approval of a plan for a new headquarters. Since 1942, the VRS has operated from a former carriage house on Church Street just off Bloomfield Avenue. The dilapidated building is no longer adequate for safe operations and in December 2023, the Verona Town Council got a plan to relocate the VRS to a building that would be built to house it, the Verona Police Department and one of Verona’s two fire stations. The Council has pledged to hold public hearings on the new building, but has yet to reveal an estimated construction cost.
The Rescue Squad is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gets its support from donations by residents and businesses. You can make a tax-deductible donation to the Rescue Squad here.
Some residents may not realize the incredible dedication and services the VRS and VFD provide to our community. The VRS offers a free service to residents that otherwise could cost them well over a thousand dollars. The Verona Fire Dept., along with the dangers they face also save residents a considerable amount of tax dollars. A paid department would be quite costly in terms of salaries and benefits. Fire Company #2 next to the DeCozen auto dealer is small, outdated and not equipped to handle today’s trucks and equipment. The Rescue Squads building is burdened with these same issues. I realize taxes are of concern to everyone. However, updated facilities for these necessary services are drastically needed. Hopefully, the town council will have the communities support in providing these vital updates for even greater safety, efficiency, and services that these volunteers already provide.
I agree Jay. If it weren’t for the quick response from the Rescue Squad, I wouldn’t be here to write this response. These two volunteer organizations comprised of our dedicated neighbors are vital to our community. The Verona Police Department deserves an adequate home as well. New up to date facilities and equipment are not a “want” for Verona but a very dire “need” that has been recognized for more than a decade. The township now has an opportunity to remedy the situation.
Verona residents can show their support by donating generously to our Fire and Rescue teams.