Hillsborough Paramedic Dies in the Line of Duty

Hillsborough, NJ -- Paramedic James V. Maguire died on Monday, Dec. 7 in the line of duty after responding to a call near his home on Sunday afternoon. He performed CPR for an extended period and less than 20 hours later, Maguire apparently suffered a heart attack, according to the Hillsborough Rescue Squad.

There will be a viewing on Sunday afternoon from 2 to 6 p.m. and a funeral on Monday morning at 10 a.m. Specific plans for emergency services personnel are being finalized and will be published as soon as details are available.

The Hillsborough Rescue Squad posted this on their Facebook page:

Following service in the United States Marine Corps, Jim joined the Hillsborough Rescue Squad in 1979 and has been actively involved in emergency medical services ever since. Over the years he has served Hillsborough as a crew chief, lieutenant and president. He was currently serving as the Supply Officer, in charge of all medical and station supplies.

From 1982 until 1985, Jim was an EMT with Middlesex General Hospital (now Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital) in New Brunswick. In 1986, Jim wrote Hillsborough’s first Mass Casualty Incident Protocols and in 1987 became the EMS Liaison to the newly-formed Hillsborough Twp. Office of Emergency Management.

Jim was a Somerset County sheriff’s officer and then served as a police officer with the Hillsborough Township Police Department from 1984 until his retirement in 2008. During his tenure with the HTPD, he served as a patrolman, Assistant Supervisor, Supervisor, Detective, Hostage Negotiator, Training Officer, Police Liaison to the Hillsborough Twp. OEM and Undercover Narcotics Officer.

Following the September 2001 terrorist attacks, he worked on the FBI’s World Trade Center Task Force’s Forensic Unit. After completing that assignment, he was appointed as Hillsborough Twp. Deputy OEM Coordinator and Hillsborough’s first Municipal Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, training other officers in counter-terrorism techniques. Jim completed an associate’s degree in Emergency Disaster Management and a bachelor’s degree in Administration Of Justice. After retiring from the Hillsborough Police Department, Jim went back to school for two years and earned his National Registry and New Jersey paramedic certifications. He worked as a paramedic at Hunterdon Medical Center in addition to serving on the Hillsborough EMS day crew.

Our thoughts are with Jim’s family during this difficult time. We will never forget Jim’s many contributions which have made Hillsborough a better place to live.

Rest easy, brother. We have it from here.

(Photo Hillsborough Rescue Squad: James Maguire.)