55 Years of Service: Our Amazing Emergency Squad

By Diane M. Loeffler

On the afternoon of September 25, the SCC Emergency Squad held a party with cake and coffee to celebrate 55 years of helping others. What an accomplishment!

Did you know that our Emergency Squad is the only volunteer squad in the entire state of Florida? Literally, around the world people have asked how Sun City Center has managed to establish and successfully run an emergency squad that provides free services to area residents. Representatives from as close as The Villages to as far away as China have toured the Squad and inquired as to how they might establish a similar service.

During the September celebration, Megan Nixon, a representative of Commissioner White, presented Emergency Squad Chief Mike Bardell with a framed letter of Commendation reading in part, “on the occasion of its 55th anniversary of providing high quality emergency services to the Greater Sun City Center community, a model of Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”

Since John Bowker has the longest tenure of anyone, he and his wife, Linda, were given the honor of joining Megan Nixon in cutting the first piece of cake.

Many training items were on display. Ted Adamczyk demonstrated how to perform CPR on an adult and on a baby. The dummies he used are equipped with lights that clearly let you know if the depth or the speed of your compressions is right.

Would you be interested in taking a class in CPR, fall prevention, or stopping the bleed? Contact Karen Shirley Bardell, Assistant Chief of Education and Medical at 633-1411. Whenever there is sufficient demand, classes will be offered. You don’t have to volunteer for the squad to take them.

If you have a walker, wheelchair or other mobility device you no longer need, you may donate the items to The Emergency Squad. The Squad’s maintenance people sanitize, repair and service these items. Area residents may then borrow them as needed.

The Emergency Squad has grown from 14 individuals trained in first aid back in 1964 to over 400 volunteers today. The growth has been amazing, but the squad still needs more people to volunteer and / or donate in order to continue to serve us all. If you are interested, stop by the Emergency Squad Training Center at 124 South Pebble Beach Boulevard at 6 p.m on the second Wednesday of every month or call 813 633-1411. No prior medical background is required to become a part of this amazing organization.

IN THE PHOTO: On behalf of Commissioner Stacy White, Megan Nixon presented a certificate of commendation.