Bergen steps in with countywide EMS services amid shortages of volunteers
Bergen County has launched its own mutual aid emergency medical services unit to help with recent shortages of volunteers and higher demands in calls.
Earlier this year, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco and a group of experts evaluated EMS services in Bergen County and determined that additional services were needed.
Through grant money from the American Rescue Act, the county purchased four used ambulances, two from New Milford, and has hired four full-time and 28 per diem employees. A billing system is in place to sustain the operating costs moving forward.
“Our local emergency medical service professionals sometimes need help in delivering medical care to their residents due to staffing issues and high-volume calls," said Tedesco, who is also a first responder. "It makes sense for the county of Bergen to step in and provide backup service and assistance to those communities that need an extra hand."
The program launched on Feb. 9 with three ambulances in service, while one is getting repaired. The squad has responded to over 55 service calls so far, said Derek Sands, a spokesperson for Tedesco.
"EMS is providing emergent, urgent and preventive care to patients as an integrated component of their community’s health care system, and it makes sense for the county to be a part of that service and that solution going forward so that we can help provide the best possible care to all of our residents," Tedesco said.
At least two ambulances will be on the road every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Bergen County Emergency Management Coordinator Capt. Matthew Tiedemann said.
"We had cops waiting for ambulances for 45 minutes sometimes. We needed to make sure more ambulances are on the roads," Tiedemann said. "Hospitals weren't able to provide more, and volunteers are a dying breed during the day because people need to work their full-time jobs."
Over the last several years, several local EMS agencies have had to close due to difficulty recruiting and retaining volunteers, placing a burden on existing EMS services.
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Many towns have switched to per diem paid services to keep up with the lack of volunteers. Elmwood Park, Rochelle Park, Maywood, Bogota and North Haledon dissolved their volunteer ambulance corps services in recent years due to shortages.
Though the county ambulances are based in Paramus, they will be circulating throughout the county as needed. They are dispatched through a system, part of a hospital association, that knows the location of the closest ambulance by GPS and sends it where needed.
Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law increasing funding to local ambulance and rescue squads to help with dwindling resources and volunteers.
The law allows counties and municipalities to contribute more money each year to these volunteer services. It allows funding to increase annual contributions from $70,000 to $125,000. Additional funds were also increased from $35,000 to $70,000 if a company "experiences extraordinary need."
“As long as I am county commissioner, I will continue to make sure that our first responders have the resources that they need to do their jobs effectively, and keep our communities safe,” said Bergen County Commissioner Chairman Thomas Sullivan. “Our commissioners will continue to prioritize the safety of our residents, and have the backs of the hardworking men and women who put so much on the line for us as first responders.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen County NJ launches EMS services amid volunteer shortage
