When St. Clare’s Denville Hospital was hit with a power outage on Monday, May 12, officials at the Morris County, New Jersey, facility turned to the NJ EMS Task Force for help.

The NJ EMS Task Force immediately activated its Incident Advance Team to assess the emergency, the risk of an expanded incident, and what team members and equipment to deploy to mitigate the challenges St. Clare’s Denville Hospital faced.

The NJ EMS Task Force deployed 19 team members along with GateKeeper1, a specialty response vehicle equipped with HVAC equipment to provide cooling for the areas of the hospital, and a two-room mobile medical tent structure should patient evacuations be necessary.

“This was another glaring example of just how valuable the NJ EMS Task Force is to this state, and beyond,” said NJ EMS Task Force Leader Michael McCabe. “The versatility of this group cannot be overstated. I am honored to serve next to such an incredible group. Whether it is mass care or supporting healthcare facilities with portable HVAC equipment and logistical support, the team steps up and gets it done, always.”

The St. Clare’s Denville Hospital response came just days after NJ EMS Task Force co-founder and leader Michael J. Bascom told team members the organization needed a sustainable form of funding to provide this critical service to the state.

Michael J. Bascom, NJ EMS Task Force co-founder and president, said future emergency responses would be "contingent upon available funding to maintain our capability to provide this support."