Views from the Shore
At the Good Old Days Festival in Somers Point, an Egg Harbor Township ambulance joined us at the Shore Medical Center booth. Families had the opportunity to step inside, see its equipment and learn how emergency medical technicians care for patients before they reach the hospital. The visit also demonstrated the important connection between local EMTs and Shore’s Emergency Department.
I decided to take the tour myself. Despite working at Shore Medical Center, I had never been inside an ambulance. Fortunately, my first experience was during a community festival rather than an emergency. EMTs Danielle Palmer and Matt Steinthal showed me around and explained what happens after someone calls 911.
Egg Harbor Township provides emergency medical services for Somers Point, responds throughout Egg Harbor Township and assists surrounding communities through mutual aid. Palmer has been an EMT for eight months, while Steinthal brings 25 years of experience to the role.
“I always wanted to be a first responder,” Palmer told me. “Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be involved in fire and EMS, so I went for it.”
Egg Harbor Township EMS averages 27 calls a day throughout the year, with its busiest days typically occurring Monday through Friday and reaching as many as 40 calls. The department is staffed by 20 full-time and 27 part-time EMTs who must be prepared for whatever the next call may bring.
“You can see anything and everything on any day,” Steinthal said. “It makes every day different.”
When EMTs arrive at a scene, they assess the patient and monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation. They can provide oxygen, perform basic medical interventions and stabilize the patient for transportation. During serious emergencies, EMTs may meet a paramedic unit whose advanced life support providers can administer additional medications and treatments.
I was struck by how much equipment must fit inside the ambulance. It carries trauma supplies, an automated external defibrillator, oxygen, suction equipment and even obstetric supplies. Steinthal once drove while his partner delivered a baby and, on another call, arrived at a vehicle just after a baby had been born.
The ambulance also carries a sensory support kit for autistic and nonverbal patients. It may include communication cards, a writing board, toys and other items that can provide comfort and help patients communicate. Egg Harbor Township EMS has worked with Shore as part of our sensory-friendly care program, helping create a coordinated experience from the ambulance through arrival at the hospital.
Our Emergency Department relies on the observations, care and information EMTs provide. That partnership helps Shore prepare for arriving patients and continue the care that began in the community.
The festival also allowed children to experience an ambulance in a comfortable setting. As Palmer explained, most children enter an ambulance for the first time during a stressful situation. Seeing one beforehand can help make it less frightening.
After taking the tour, I came away with an even greater appreciation for the preparation, adaptability and compassion the job requires. EMTs must be ready for anything, and Shore is proud to work alongside them in caring for our community.
Brian Cahill is the Director of Marketing for Shore Medical Center and Shore Physicians Group. He also volunteers on the Board of the Somers Point Business Association, the Somers Point Economic Advisory Commission, and is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at Stockton University.
