Volunteer First Responders Suspend Response for 30 Days

The following message is sent courtesy of Skidaway Island First Responders President Kelly Gordon

Note: For fire and medical emergencies, residents should continue to call 355-6688.

Volunteer First Responders Suspend Response for 30 Days

To support all efforts to “flatten the curve” (slow the spread) of Covid-19, Skidaway Island Volunteer First Responders, have suspended their emergency medical responses for the next 30 days, effective immediately. We will re-evaluate after that time based on the status of this virus and its impacts on our community. I want to remind everyone that the paid on-duty Chatham Emergency Services (CES) Paramedics and EMT’s, including the 24/7 on-island paramedic, remain active and responsive in our community. CES has the proper Personal Protective Equipment at their disposal to handle responses to calls that may be symptomatic of Covid-19. 

We regret the need for this action, however, it is our goal to be vigilant and responsible so that our volunteers don’t put anyone at risk. The fewer people you have in your home the better. Likewise, many of our volunteers fit the criteria of those most vulnerable to Covid-19. Thank you for your support and understanding of our volunteer first responders. We strongly encourage everyone to follow the guidance of the professionals.

Note from The Landings Association

Did you know that in addition to the County's standard EMS services contract with Chatham Emergency Services (CES) for unincorporated Chatham County, The Landings Association has a separate long-standing contract with CES that guarantees a 24/7 on-island paramedic? The paramedic responds to all medical calls from Station 5 in Oakridge. This arrangement was made to provide both advanced life support and faster response times to medical calls at a cost of $25,000 per year. This higher service level is funded through the Association's operating budget.



This article was originally published by The Landings Association on their website.

Visit landings.org to read the original article.
https://landings.org/news/2020/03/18/volunteer-first-responders-suspend-response-30-days