(above) Joan Lozowski, who has been a member of the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad since 1988.
Meet One of the Members of the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad
Joan Lozowski joined the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad in November of 1988 at the age of 26. At the time, she was a police dispatcher with the Scotch Plains Police Department (retiring in 2016) and knew how shorthanded the squad was during the day, so she decided to help out. Joan has now been riding for 31 years and has held several positions including captain, 1st and 2nd lieutenant and delegate.
“I like the camaraderie we have and the squad is a second family to me. We support each other through good calls as well as bad and are there for each other,” says Joan.
One of her most unusual calls came on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of summer about two years ago. She had just finished playing golf and went to meet up with a township police officer who needed an oxygen mask for her first aid kit. While together, the officer was dispatched to a house fire and Joan decided to head over as well to see if she could be of any assistance.
When she arrived, she saw a small dog being taken to an unmarked car by a lieutenant. The dog had been pulled out of the house, and when the officer saw Joan, he asked her to care for the dog, whose owners weren’t home at the time.
The dog was hot and listless, so she gave him oxygen and, with the help of some residents who brought over water and ice, she slowly cooled the dog down. This went on for a while until the resident came home. Fortunately, by that time, the dog was starting to respond. Afterwards, the owner brought the dog to the vet and he was eventually deemed fine.
Squad members are never sure what they’ll find when arriving to calls and are trained to respond to all kinds of health crises. Although saving an animal is not something EMTs normally do, Joan stepped up and did the right thing.
Joan also volunteers with the Fanwood Rescue Squad and Friends of Valley Brook, an organization that assists 64 veterans living at Valley Brook Village on the grounds of the VA Hospital in Lyons, NJ. She helps with barbecues and other events and recently, with a friend’s assistance, cooked a corned beef and cabbage dinner for St. Patrick’s Day. She loves giving her time to the vets. “They served our country; it is my honor to help them,” says Joan.
Please reach out if you would like to join your neighbors and become a part of our organization. Go to our website at scotchplainsrescuesquad.com, email us at scotchplainsrescuesquad@gmail.com, or call 908-322-2103.
Submitted by Susan Baldani, a life member of the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad
