The Matawan First Aid and Rescue Squad (MFARS) has been providing completely volunteer emergency “911” basic life support services for the Borough of Matawan and surrounding communities since 1934. Since the squad is completely volunteer, any services are rendered completely free of charge. Over the years, the population of the Borough of Matawan has grown steadily. However, the growth of the borough comes with a price. More resources have to be provided for government services, such as volunteer emergency first aid. Thus, we continuously ask for your help to keep our services free for the community.
The Matawan First Aid and Rescue Squad provides the equipment, knowledge, and trained personnel to respond in the event of an emergency. All active members are certified by the New Jersey State Department of Health and Senior Services as Emergency Medical Technicians-Basic. The minimum requirement for drivers is a certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) at the Healthcare Provider level. MFARS also cooperates with hospital-based Monmouth-Ocean Hospital Service Corporation (MONOC) paramedics, who provide advanced life support. The paramedics assist squad members by providing a higher level of medical care, essentially bringing the emergency room to the patient.
The Matawan First Aid and Rescue Squad is dispatched through the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, denoted as “Squad 29-21.” Members of the squad carry Motorola Minitor pagers that are activated by tones broadcasted by the Monmouth County EMS 1 Dispatch Desk. Members respond to the squad building in personal vehicles (which are identified by flashing blue lights in an emergency) and then respond to the scene of the emergency with the appropriate apparatus. The squad regularly responds to medical calls, fire calls, motor vehicle accidents, and conducts various community event standbys.
Currently, the Matawan First Aid and Rescue Squad operates two standard ambulances (29-56 and 29-57), a third rescue ambulance with transport capability (29-64), and a rescue boat that is used for operations in Lake Lefferts. The “Jaws of Life,” a set of hydraulic spreaders, cutters, and ram, is carried on the rescue ambulance, used in cooperation with the Matawan Borough Fire Department primarily to extricate patients entrapped in vehicles. MFARS is a member of New Jersey State First Aid Council, District 11. All ambulances and equipment are kept up to standards set by the NJSFAC, which moderates volunteer first aid squads in New Jersey.
Under N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.12: "Drivers of non-emergency vehicles upon any highway shall yield the right of way to the vehicle of any member of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first aid or rescue squad or a volunteer Office of Emergency Management operating emergency warning lights in the same manner as is provided for authorized emergency vehicles pursuant to R.S.39:4-92."