First Responders Update

Yes, we’d appreciate it if you and your family put on a mask when you call us to come to your house. We wear a mask to protect you, and it would be super awesome if you’d do the same for us. 

We are a community, and if we don’t take care of each other, then who will? The Skidaway Island First Responders ALWAYS are here to protect and serve. When you call for EMS, please consider whether or not it’s a true emergency. 

Recently, we got a call for a lift assist. Someone needed assistance getting from one room to another. Minutes later, another call was received for a fall with serious injuries. If our Paramedic and the First Responders are helping you get to another room, who will be there for the true emergency? 

There are many other services that provide home healthcare and are available for non-emergent calls. Please call 912-355-6688 for emergencies only. It takes an off-island ambulance a while to get to our island. If we are the only ones who can get to your location quickly, our services must be used appropriately. 

Not long ago, we had an emergency on the island, and we were dispatched to a completely different location. It took us out of our way, and the patient waited much longer than we’d have liked. 

PLEASE remember when you call 912-355-6688 to be very specific with your location. The paid personnel and the Skidaway Island First Responders are very familiar with the island. If you’re not sure of the address, please give any specific information you can, even if it’s the name of a street you’re near. 

There are several golf courses. Try to say which course, which hole, or what you see while calling. The clubs are big. When you call and say you’re at Marshwood, give the address of 1 Palmers Draw and state where you are at the club. Do not assume the person on the other end will ask the questions. If you’re out running and you trip and fall, try to tell dispatch what area of the island you’re on and what the closest streets are. 

I recently was asked who answers the phone when someone calls 912-355-6688. Some people assume you’re calling our organization. NO! You are actually calling Chatham Emergency Services dispatch, which is located at 1399 Dean Forest Road. When you call them, they simultaneously page the Paramedic on our island, the Skidaway Island First Responders, and the off-island ambulance. 

The people you speak to do not live in The Landings nor are they familiar with any part of our island. As I stated in my last article, try to familiarize yourselves with the addresses to the clubhouses, Publix, churches, the Marinas, and any other areas you frequent often. ALWAYS give the dispatcher your name and phone number so they can call you back if necessary. 

Our main objective as First Responders is to provide you with a service that HELPS you in a time of need. When you or a loved one are facing an emergency, the last thing we want is for you to wait for us too long. Make sure you take a deep breath, think about what you’re going to say once you’ve made contact with someone on the other end, and always give as much detailed information as you are able to provide. 

I hope all of you are wearing your masks properly, covering your NOSE AND MOUTH, washing your hands often, and maintaining the six feet of social distance. This pandemic isn’t over, and if we want to keep the numbers down on our island, we must stay vigilant. 

Thank you so much for your continued support of the Skidaway Island First Responders and for the generous donations we receive from this wonderful community. We are honored to serve you all and will always be here when you need us.