PO Box 137
3 Regina Lane
Great Meadows, NJ 07838

About Us

• Who We Are

• What We Do

• Help Us Help You

• How You Can Help

Who We Are....

We are your friends, and neighbors who volunteer to provide emergency medical services to Independence and Liberty Townships in Warren County, NJ

Independence First Aid Squad is a non-profit organization with 100% volunteer members.  The members of the squad are committed to providing dependable and professional emergency medical services to the residents and visitors of our area.  We do not receive any pay for the many hours we spend training and responding to medical emergencies.

Independence First Aid Squad continues to provide these services at no cost to the patients we care for.  We continue to rely on the donations we receive through our various fund raising campaigns.  Check our events tab for current fundraisers.

We currently have 2 patient ambulances and 1 rescue truck that contains the extrication equipment, including the Jaws of Life tool.

Our membership consists of emergency Medical Technicians, (EMT), First Responders and drivers.  Our EMT's have an initial training program of 120 hours of classroom training.  They also perform 10 hours of training in the local emergency room.  Continued training is necessary to maintain the EMT certification.  This consists of 28 hours of continuing education, which includes both classroom instruction and practical hands on training every 3 years.

The squad is always in need of volunteers.  If you would like to find out more about membership in the squad, follow the membership link (We Want You) to find out how.  The squad provides full training with no prior experience.

We hope you will explore more of our website and learn more about our history and how you can help the squad even if you don't want to become an EMT.

What We Do...

• We respond to 9-1-1 medical emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

• We respond to neighboring communities if their squad needs assistance

• We respond with Independence Fire Department and Mt. lake Fire Department when they are called for fire emergencies.

• We provide stand by coverage for community events such as Community Day, parades and other events as requested.

• We provide medically needed ambulance transport to area hospitals.  Some specific tasks EMT's perform are:

  • CPR

  • Automated defibrillation

  • Bleeding Control

  • Epi-pen administration in the event of a life threatening allergic reaction

  • Assist in Child Birth

  • Lifting and moving patients

  • Many more things not listed here...

Please remember the Independence First Aid Squad does not bill for its services.  If you have received a bill for services, it is most likely from the paramedic unit.  Paramedic units provide Advanced Life Support to someone having a major medical emergency such as a heart attack, stroke and may other life threatening emergencies.  The Paramedics work with the EMT's to add another level of the care in pre-hospital medical emergencies.  The paramedics bill for their services.

If you are interested in learning more about what we do and how you can be a member, check out the "How You Can Help" section of our web site.

Help Us Help You

Dial 9-1-1 for HELP when:

• You witness or  you are the victim of a crime

• You smell smoke or you see a fire

• You witness or are involved in a serious accident

• There is an emergency illness or suspected poisoning.

• When a child, senior citizen, or handicapped person is lost, confused, frightened, or needs special assistance

• When you need a police officer, fire fighter, or ambulance to come to your home or business

WHAT Do I Say?

When the 9-1-1 dispatcher answers, be prepared to give the following information:

• Street address (where help is needed).

• If you are calling on a cell phone, you need to verify that the dispatcher is for the town where the emergency is located.  (911 cell phone calls can go to the wrong town).

• What the problem is.

• Phone number you are calling from.

• Your name.

• Remember to remain as calm as possible, speak clearly and remain on the line to answer all the dispatcher's questions.

Why Do Dispatchers Ask So Many Questions?

The Answer to this question is simple.  A dispatcher will ask you many questions while on the phone, but it does not delay the response of help!  Especially if the call is for medical, the dispatcher will stay on the line and ask many medical related questions and provide pre-arrival instructions while the ambulance is being dispatched at the same time

How You Can Help...

• Join the squad and become an EMT or First Responder...new members are always welcome and training is free.  Complete the basic information form and someone will contact you for an interview.  Click Here to print and mail out our pre-application Form or fill out our online form on the We Want You page and someone will respond to your as soon as possible.

• Help start an auxiliary...all of our auxiliary members have retired and we would like to start a new one.

• Become a support member and donate your time. 

• Here are some ideas you may not have thought of, but are very helpful.

  • We are always looking for junked cars for extrication drills.  Donate your junked car to the squad

  • Support fundraisers.  Check out our current events page for more information

  • Make sure your house is clearly numbered and can be seen from the street.  Here are some suggestions

  • Have a list of your current medications handy.

  • Download and print out the Personal medical form and have it handy to give to the emergency responders.

INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ