New Jersey EMS Task Force Helps Evacuate Pennsylvania Skilled Nursing Facility

New Jersey EMS Task Force members worked throughout the night and into early Saturday morning to assist local resources to evacuate the Montgomeryville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania.

2 of 4 Medical Ambulances Busses deployed overnight into Montgomery County PA to assist with a full facility evacuation. 1/26/2025 by NJEMSTF

The NJEMSTF deployed four Medical Ambulance Buses, support staff, and planners to the facility shortly after 1:30 a.m. Saturday, January 25, 2025. The Montgomeryville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was forced to evacuate after a water main broke, flooding the facility.

The Montgomery County EMS coordinator requested help from the NJEMSTF.
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The facility needed to move 144 patients to regional skilled nursing and hospital locations, so it requested the NJ EMS Task Force’s fleet of Medical Ambulance Buses, which can transport and care for multiple patients in wheelchairs simultaneously. NJ EMS Task Force MABs stationed in Keyport, AtlantiCare, North Brunswick, and Ewing responded to the incident. Additional units in the NJEMSTF MAB response were available if needed. The NJ EMS Task Force Medical Ambulance Buses transported 29 people to five facilities.

“We’re glad that we were able to help our colleagues in Pennsylvania,” said Lou Sasso, NJ EMS Task Force Leader. “We’re also proud of our team that rose to the challenge to respond in the bitter cold to help those in need. Our teams came from throughout New Jersey to help. Our MABs are a true force multiplier, allowing for the care of many patients at once. This is why they are essential parts of every emergency plan in New Jersey.”
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The NJ EMS Task Force is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit that has operated for over two decades. The NJ EMS Task Force unites more than 200 career and volunteer emergency medical professionals across New Jersey to respond to regional crises ranging from wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and major events such as the Super Bowl. Today, through partnerships with local agencies, the NJ EMS Task Force has specialized equipment and EMS providers strategically stationed throughout the state and ready to respond to any emergency. The NJ EMS Task Force is responsible for developing all statewide pre-hospital emergency preparedness plans for such events as hurricanes, floods, incidents on our rail lines, ferries, cruise lines, and more. The NJ EMS Task Force is vital in acting as a surge capacity for local EMS host agencies responding to emergencies, disasters, and public health crises. The NJ EMS Task Force, which operates on grants and donations, also provides critical medical services and community support through its partnerships with the New Jersey Department of Health, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, and other state agencies.