Westwood Fire Co. EMT service named best in Pa.

Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005
By JASON KOTOWSKI
Staff Writer

VALLEY – Westwood Fire Company Ambulance has been awarded this year’s Pennsylvania State Ambulance Service of the Year Award, given each year to an ambulance service that provides excellent service to residents and continued training and development to its volunteers.

The company will receive the award Aug. 19 at the State Hotel & Conference Center in State College.  Fire Chief John Sly said he is very proud of the award and the service his company has provided.

“Our personnel pride themselves on their quick response time,” Sly said.

Mike McWilliams, chief of EMS Operations at Westwood, said he was surprised his company received a statewide award and is proud that it is being recognized.

McWilliams has volunteered at Westwood since 1999.

Westwood Fire Co. has provided automated external defibrillators (AEDs), devices used to restart a patient’s stopped heart, at discounted prices to schools and community organizations in the area, Sly said.

Every fire truck and ambulance, and even the chief’s personal vehicle, are also equipped with AEDs to provide immediate assistance no matter what vehicle arrives at a scene first.

Westwood volunteers have saved several lives during the past year.  In one instance, an elderly woman collapsed on a neighbor’s lawn while she was chasing after her dog.  Volunteers found her in cardiac arrest, but they were able to save her by shocking her with an AED.

On the Fourth of July, a 47-year-old man went into cardiac arrest.  Sly, on his way to work in his personal vehicle, was the first person to arrive at the scene.  He shocked the man and regained a pulse before an ambulance arrived.

Later, the victim’s family sent cards and called to thank him.

“It’s rewarding to hear from relatives of someone you helped,” Sly said.  “It doesn’t happen often.”

Sly said volunteers receive many hours of in-house training.  He said it’s necessary to keep the training fresh in every volunteer’s mind because they respond to about 800 ambulance calls and 400 fire calls each year.

“Every night from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., we have a minimum of two emergency medical technicians in the station," Sly said.

Said said every EMT in the company will attend the awards ceremony.

Sly thanked Krapf’s Coaches of West Chester, which is providing transportation to the ceremony.