Rescue squad receives grant from British company Volunteer company first in U.S. to receive grant for new equipment BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer WOODBRIDGE - The Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad [WTA&RS] located in Iselin has become the first organization in the United States to receive a grant under the British Telecom [BT] Community Champion program. "I am thrilled to receive this award from BT, which will further boost the squad's fundraising efforts to purchase new life saving equipment for the ambulances," said Steve Packer, who works as a business manager for BT Global Services in Princeton and also has been a volunteer with the squad as an emergency medical technician for 25 years. "The funds will be used specifically to purchase new stretchers as the current ones require frequent servicing to be able to transport patients safely." The BT Community Champion program awarded the rescue squad with £500, which translates into $972 in the United States. The program enables BT people to support local charities and community groups in which they are involved. The Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad is a nonprofit, volunteer organization, which provides services to the residents of the township and surrounding communities. It was formed from the merging of the Iselin First Aid Squad and the Woodbridge Emergency Squad. Each year, the squad answers over 6,300 calls for help. Packer, who was elected to the board of directors of the organization and is now the vice president in charge of recruitment and human resources, campaigned hard for the merger of three township volunteer ambulance services into one, which now provides Woodbridge with a consolidated emergency medical service. "The service is now able to respond to patients more quickly," he said, "and has made considerable cost savings that have been reinvested into the Woodbridge Ambulance and Rescue Squad." The organization operates eight ambulances and two heavy rescue vehicles. "Awards like this enables the volunteers to carry on offering their services at no cost to the town," said Packer. "We regularly provide free CPR classes to local businesses and residents and participate at all large functions, including high school football games and other sporting events. The BT award will enable us to continue to support these community events and increase our profile with local residents." BT Community Champions is an internal award scheme offered to BT employees across the globe who can apply for funding on behalf of the community group where they have worked on a voluntary basis for at least 12 months. It was established 14 years ago to acknowledge the valuable "out of hours" community work of employees as well as offering much needed funding to the charity sector. "The award recognizes Steve's outstanding commitment to the Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad," said Julie Sanders, manager of global community investment and charity programs at BT. "I am delighted that such a dedicated individual is the first BT employee in the United States to have won $972. Steve has been involved with the group for over 25 years and has been utterly devoted to improving the service offered to Woodbridge. The squad is a vital part of the local community and this award will help them to reach their fund raising targets." BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services and higher-value broadband and Internet products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale. For more information about BT visit www.bt.com. For more information about the WTA&RS visit www.woodbridge-ems.org.