EMS Volunteer Shortage in New Jersey – What’s Wrong?

[x635 4,066]

The envelope comes periodically from the Englishtown-Manalapan First Aid Squad, and I usually make my donation – whatever I can give, which these days isn’t much.

But I wonder how “vollies” or volunteer ambulance corps can survive on such meager donations, and still be able to do the lifesaving work they do.

Read More: EMS Volunteer Shortage in New Jersey – What’s Wrong? | http://nj1015.com/ems-volunteer-shortage-in-new-jersey-whats-wrong/?trackback=tsmclip

[Avon Rob 40]

Many squads are in dire need of new members. Anyone I approach states that they cannot take the time away from family and/or work. One person who I asked to join is an RN. She was told that she was required to take the basic course even if an RN. As to response time, it relates to lack of manpower and the protocol for 2nd & possibly 3rd dispatches. A second dispatch is normal due to traffic & size of the response area. Many times you will hear a a squad sign on stating on the ramp awaiting a crew.

Signs requesting volunteers are displayed at numerous fire houses & squad buildings, but few answer. In the donation envelope, residents are asked to volunteer. Again, a very poor response. This ties in with the blog about consolidation in that any & all volunteer squads are trying to gain new members, or possibly reactivate former members.

[EMT111 149]

First, I've never understood why paramedics in NJ have to work out of a hospital and why they can't transport, especially when some of them are riding around in full ambulances. I'm not familiar with how the NJ ems system works, but looking at the system we have in NY, while not perfect, the commercial medics are going to do whatever they can to handle a call, because it means a bigger bill. Personally, I think a patient and family would be happier with a rapid response and a bigger bill than sitting and waiting for a bls ambulance to arrive. Secondly, as far as I know, in NJ, you have to get your EMT card before you can even get into the back of a rig. This means that unless you only want to drive, you must sit through an entire emt class before you even do anything, and with classes getting longer and tougher, who has time for that plus working full time and having a life and everything. Personally, I think a role like first aider/attendant like in NY is beneficial, because it allows people to see if they're cut out for EMS, plus you can do something with out having to take a major class, and people who enjoy being a first aider are probably more likely to go to EMT school and do well since they enjoy the work. Finally, volunteer shortages are nothing new and will likely continue across the country as the middle and lower classes have to work more to make a living, shortening the amount of time they have to give as volunteers

[paulie3jobs 4]

"First, I've never understood why paramedics in NJ have to work out of a hospital and why they can't transport, especially when some of them are riding around in full ambulances"

I believe this was a bone thrown to the volunteers when the medics first started in the late 70's, early 80's. The vollies were afraid that having medics in ambulances were going to

"take away their jobs." To get them to buy in to the program, it was determined that ALS would not transport, except in the larger cities (Newark, Jersey City).

Some hospital based services are beginning to use ambulances for their medic trucks. If an ambulance based medic unit arrives, and there is no vollie BLS, that medic unit will transport

(and also receive a higher reimbursement) because they transported.

[Avon Rob 40]

Medics can transport. On several calls they have transported when originally called squad didn't get out. We were back-up, but cancelled as medics were already transporting. Do not know all protocols, but they have transported.

[EMT111 149]

"First, I've never understood why paramedics in NJ have to work out of a hospital and why they can't transport, especially when some of them are riding around in full ambulances"

I believe this was a bone thrown to the volunteers when the medics first started in the late 70's, early 80's. The vollies were afraid that having medics in ambulances were going to

"take away their jobs." To get them to buy in to the program, it was determined that ALS would not transport, except in the larger cities (Newark, Jersey City).

Some hospital based services are beginning to use ambulances for their medic trucks. If an ambulance based medic unit arrives, and there is no vollie BLS, that medic unit will transport

(and also receive a higher reimbursement) because they transported.

Medics can transport. On several calls they have transported when originally called squad didn't get out. We were back-up, but cancelled as medics were already transporting. Do not know all protocols, but they have transported.

I was gonna say, because I live right on the NY NJ border, and most of the towns right across the border in NJ come into our local hospital, and I don't think I've ever seen an ALS fly car, it's always been an ALS ambulance (I want to say it's Chilton Hospital medics, but I'm not 100% sure). Also, one of my usual partners was a Jersey EMT for a long time and was also a line officer in her corps in Jersey, and she always tells me that Jersey medics can't transport.

[paulie3jobs 4]

I was gonna say, because I live right on the NY NJ border, and most of the towns right across the border in NJ come into our local hospital, and I don't think I've ever seen an ALS fly car, it's always been an ALS ambulance (I want to say it's Chilton Hospital medics, but I'm not 100% sure).

Not Chilton, maybe St. Clare's (I'm guessing St. Anthony's in Warwick?), Chilton only uses fly car presently. That may change now that they belong to the Atlantic Health System.

St. Clare's was primarily ambulance based medics, but they are slowly switching to fly cars.

Also, one of my usual partners was a Jersey EMT for a long time and was also a line officer in her corps in Jersey, and she always tells me that Jersey medics can't transport.

That might have been true in the past, but no longer. Englewood Hospital medics have been transporting for several years now, again, only if another ambulance does not respond.

I can see the state loosening up on this requirement as the ranks of the volunteers continue to diminish.