QRS goes in service

Once again Station 18 has taken the level of care for its community to the next level.  After months of research, preparation, and additional hours of training, the Clifford Township Volunteer Fire Company is now certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as a Quick Response Service (QRS).  

For many years Station 18 has offered its community ambulance service operating one ambulance.  Due to the time spent on incidents, manpower, and a sharp increase in responses over the past few years, the vision of an additional EMS resource to the community developed.  Financially a second ambulance to serve would not be appropriate, as well as staffing issues during daytime hours.  The QRS concept answers the community’s needs.  In the month of June, Rescue 18 was certified as a QRS vehicle. A QRS vehicle is a non-transporting emergency service resource that responds to a scene initially to stabilize a patient until a transporting BLS (basic life support) ambulance arrives on scene.  Rescue 18 will now play an integral part in EMS, side-by-side with Ambulance 18-9.  As of July 1, 2004 at 0000hrs, the QRS is in service.

Rescue 18 will now not only serve as a Rescue Company, but is additionally equipped with emergency medical supplies very similar to what is found aboard the ambulance.  The QRS will now be dispatched via the Susquehanna County Communications Center to emergency medical calls throughout the coverage area when Ambulance 18-9 is committed to another incident, short staffed, out of service for repairs, or for specific medical emergencies dictated by state protocol.  This certification will now allow for emergency care by our trained professionals to reach our citizens more expeditiously on specific incidents.  Along with medical calls, Rescue 18 has the ability to care for and package multiple patients at the scene of motor vehicle accidents.  In today’s world, Station 18 is face with more accidents involving multiple patients with serious injury.  The ability to package (prepare a patient for transport) a patient prior to mutual aide ambulance arrival, expedites the patients arrival to a hospital.  In this arena time is crucial. 

Without the foresight from our founding fathers, and the aggressive approach our current leaders take today, the level of emergency services provided to our community would not be what it is today.  A special thank you to all the members that played a part in making this possible.