08/30/2022
Dear residents of Bernards Township:
At midnight on September 5, the volunteers of Liberty Corner First Aid Squad will answer our last call of providing life-saving emergency medical and ambulance transport services to the community we love.
We, like many other volunteer organizations in the state, have been experiencing a critical staffing crisis since the pandemic. After exhausting all options– including the hope of an agreement with the township- we had no other choice but to announce ceasing operations.
We are extremely proud of all we have accomplished over the past nearly 60 years and very thankful to the community, many who are our friends, neighbors, and family, for believing in our volunteer organization.
Thank you, Bernards Township residents, for your outpouring of support over the years, for dropping off home-cooked meals for our monthly meetings or late-night shifts, for the handwritten thank-you notes after saving your loved one’s life, or a monetary donation “just because”.
The past few years have been a trying time for many, but our dedicated squad never backed down during the Covid-19 pandemic and answered calls during the middle of the night, during snowstorms, and when we were needed in the community. Our members sacrificed nights and weekends away from their own families to serve the community we love. But our devotion was unwavering.
We were the neighbors or friends you came to know. And we felt extreme gratitude knowing many of you felt more at ease and comforted when we showed up to your medical emergency call.
Liberty Corner First Aid Squad may be ending our service, but we know our legacy will live on through the countless number of volunteers, residents, and students whose lives were changed by receiving life-saving training or mentoring.
We feel extremely proud our squad made a difference in the lives of so many. We are especially honored over the years to have mentored a multitude of Ridge High School students, many who have continued their calling to become doctors, paramedics, nurse practitioners and paid EMTs.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to nearly sixty years of unwavering service. We are forever grateful.
On Behalf of the Volunteer Members of the Liberty Corner First Aid Squad,
Dave “Phil” Lai-Len, EMT-B, President
Jad Abousleiman, EMT-B, Captain
