Ambulance services available 24/7 Published Oct. 31, 2006 By Airman Rebekah Phy McGuire Public Affairs McGUIRE AFB, N.J. -- The 305th Medical Group ambulance services staff is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to respond to medical emergencies within a 100-mile radius of McGuire. Staff Sgt. Jesse Amador, 305th Medical Group aerospace medical technician for ambulance services, is one of the Airmen working there who helps provide emergency care for McGuire and Fort Dix personnel, all base housing residents and prisoners from the federal corrections institute. "The primary duty for ambulance services is flightline coverage for emergencies, such as in-flight, ground, radioactive, biohazard and mass casualty incidents," said Sergeant Amador. But, they also respond to 911 calls, which are dispatched by the DoD, McGuire and Fort Dix police, for everything from motor accidents to chest pain and allergic reactions. The calls go through McGuire's fire department and ambulance services, and they respond to the scene together. "We work well with the fire department," Sergeant Amador said. "We go hand-in-hand." After four years of being in ambulance services, the best thing for Sergeant Amador is the morale in his section. "It's the people here - the camaraderie. It keeps you focused," he said. "We couldn't function without everyone working together, or without trust. We only go out (on calls) two at a time, so you need trust. "When someone is new, and they respond to a call with me, I tell them to trust their instincts," Sergeant Amador said. "Whatever they don't pick up, I will, and vice-versa. We have to work as a team." Helping others, of course, is also a big benefit in this career field, he said. "Basically, the phone rings, we go out to the call, and we fix the problem right there. We get to see the 'fruits of our labor.' I see it in their (the patients') faces ... the cards they send us later and the 'thank you's' we get. It's a good feeling." "I remember, my very first day in the section, actually, my first call - A little boy, who was about four years old, wasn't responding - he wasn't breathing," Sergeant Amador said. "When we arrived at the scene, the fire department was already there, and I saw one of the firemen running down the stairs carrying the little boy's limp body. I was nervous; I didn't expect that on my first day. He was in respiratory arrest, so we started doing CPR in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. We brought him back right there," he said.