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The Record, Tuesday, May 22, 2001

Ambulance on loan fills in the gap

By MERRY FIRSCHEIN
Staff Writer

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS -- Ambulance service was restored Monday afternoon when the borough received a loaner vehicle from Wood-Ridge to replace two undergoing repairs.

"At no time were we without [ambulance] coverage," emphasized Borough Administrator Michael Kronyak. "This is why mutual aid works."

A misaligned stretcher track on one ambulance is being repaired. Borough officials were concerned that the stretcher could slightly shift. The problem is being fixed by Wolfington Body of Manasquan.

The engine of the other vehicle has been malfunctioning and was examined by Department of Public Works employees Friday, the first day the two vehicles were out of service. The ambulance was taken for a road test that lasted about 1 1/2 hours. The vehicle was thought to be fixed and was sent out on a call that evening, when it once again overheated. At that time, the Wood-Ridge ambulance was called.

The engine is being diagnosed by Beyer Bros. of Fairview. Once the cause of the overheating is discovered, the DPW superintendent and the fire chief will decide to have the vehicle fixed at Beyer Bros. or to have it repaired by the DPW.

The ambulances are less than seven years old. The vehicle with the track problem was bought new in 1998. The vehicle with the malfunctioning engine was reconditioned in 1994. The box was removed and put onto a new chassis and cab.

The 20-member volunteer ambulance squad covers Hasbrouck Heights and Teterboro. Wood-Ridge, Hackensack, South Hackensack, Carlstadt, East Rutherford, and Wallington were responsible for ambulance service during the weekend when the two ambulances were out of service.