NEQALS to commemorate 20th anniversary of 9/11 with building dedication

The ceremony is open to the public

The new NEQALS base on Jackson Road. (Photo Courtesy of the NEQALS Facebook Page)

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Webster, NY - In honor of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life Support (NEQALS) EMS has decided to combine the dedication of its new building with the Village of Webster’s 9/11 Memorial Ceremony.

Until now, the first responders of NEQALS have been operating through borrowed and rented facilities. But after 33 years, the agency now has its own facility on Jackson Road in Webster.

Since the completion of the new base falls on September 11, NEQALS has decided to collaborate with the Village of Webster to incorporate the building dedication in the village’s annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony.

The Village of Webster typically holds its 9/11 ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Webster. But since the ceremony remembers first responders and all who died or suffered in 9/11, it seemed fitting that the ceremony be held in conjunction with an event on behalf of today’s first responders.

According to the NEQALS website, the EMS agency has operated “out of begged, borrowed, and now rented space” since its genesis in 1988.

“For many years we literally ran the agency from various kitchen and dining room tables. We started discussing building a dedicated base for NEQALS in 2005,” the agency writes in a news release.

NEQALS moved to its current location on Ridge Road in 2008, which, at the time, served the agency well when it had 1-2 paramedics on duty and only three flycars, according to the news release. However, due to zoning restrictions, there were no sleeping quarters or kitchen for the first responders.

“And so, for many years, our crews slept on sofas or recliners and we ate out of microwaves,” says the news release.

In 2015, NEQALS bought the parcel on Jackson Road for its new base. Hence began the design phase for the new building.

NEQALS officially broke ground for its new base in September 2020. The building will house all of the agency’s vehicles while also providing plenty of space for operations staff to work, crews to rest and eat, and training.

“This location on Jackson Road meets our needs in size, location, and most importantly, cost,” the news release states. “This new facility will provide us the space we need, which we sorely lack now, to better maintain, and to train, and respond to the community.”

The 9/11 ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m.at 1030 Jackson Road in Webster. It is open to the public, but RSVPs are required. To RSVP, email administrator@neqals.org.