Oceanside Fire District announces new Rescue Squad

The Board of Fire Commissioners of the Oceanside Fire District and the Chiefs of the Oceanside Fire Department are pleased to announce the creation of the Oceanside Fire Department Rescue Squad, part of a new program designed to both better serve the emergency needs of the community and to enhance opportunities for residents interested in emergency medical service.

This new unit will help the Fire District to continue to provide high quality emergency care to the residents of Oceanside.

The Fire District is creating the Rescue Squad as part of its continuing efforts to meet the increased demands on the system while addressing pressing needs of space and resources. Recent actions have included centralizing equipment and vehicles, enhancing the dispatching system, hiring medical technicians as need to provide seamless 24/7 coverage and other strategic measures.

Like all emergency care providers throughout the country, Oceanside has seen a marked increase in the number of emergency calls. An aging population is one of the factors causing this increase.

In order to attract more emergency care personnel, the Fire District is moving its emergency care from one of the fire companies (whose members may also be firefighters) to a squad designed solely for the provision of emergency care.

The district also believes that the creation of this squad, which will be housed in headquarters on Foxhurst Road, and not in a separate facility, will result in both a more efficient use of space and greater ease of access to more of the department members and technicians to respond from the headquarters.

The district is launching a campaign seeking emergency care volunteers from the community, including students who may be seeking careers in health related fields such as medical school, nursing, etc. The Rescue Squad will give them an opportunity to concentrate solely on emergency medical care without the necessity of the training and other requirements of a firefighter.

The Fire District will continue its policy of providing payment for the classes and training necessary for volunteers to attain the status of Emergency Medical Technician, Medic, etc., in exchange for a volunteer commitment.

Persons interested in volunteering, or learning more about volunteer opportunities should call the Oceanside Fire District at (516) 766-2717.