Recovering addict pays Ocean County EMT squad's tab at IHOP

An Ocean County EMT squad got quite the surprise at breakfast when they tried to pay their bill. Someone else had already picked up the tab.

Like lightning Captain Alyssa Golembeski and her all volunteer Toms River First Aid Squad are out the door. In this line of work the calls for help are constant. The phrase thank you not so much.

The overnight shift into Friday morning--even by the standards of this veteran EMT crew it had been a long one.

"We had had everything from drug overdoses, to CPRs, to traumatic injuries that needed to go up to the trauma center."

So to let off steam Alyssa, Laurence, Keri, Michael, Robert and Patrick went to IHOP.

Nick Paternostro is the manager. At the end of the squad's meal he was also the messenger. He brought over a piece of paper. The squad's entire meal all 77 dollars and 57 cents of it was covered. The note thanked them for all they do and was signed recovering addict.

"An EMT must have saved her in the past," Paternostro said. "She said just don't tell them wait till I leave to give them the paper."

It was an act of kindness perfectly timed.