For the doubters - EMS regionalization at a municipal level

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

Shocking! Even New Jersey is getting the idea.

http://www.co.gloucester.nj.us/Pdf/Emergency/faq.swf

Seems a county full of volunteer BLS squads that consistently scratch with no consistent EMS response is regionalizing at the county level, with a solid living wage, county benefits, and a pension plan.

[pacman]

This is shocking! Way to go!

Hopefully this will be the start of a trend in New Jersey.

[Dustdevil]

Wow! Now if they just start providing ALS, they can join the 20th century, albeit 35 years late.

[UMSTUDENT]

I don't see where this is so ground shattering. I'd say most of the larger counties in Maryland already provide full county funded fire and emergency medical services in a similar capacity. Many of them don't bill and simply provide it as an "essential public service." In some counties, EMS has been integrated in exactly the same way as NJ.

As we speak in my county, a regionalized EMS system is being implemented. 9 paramedics were just hired to function as intermediary, roaming paramedics to plug shortfalls in the system. Also during this phase (currently phase 1), the county will begin assuming most of the routine maintenance cost for existing volunteer stations. During phase 2, more paramedics will be hired to begin being stationed at volunteer stations that voluntarily secede to county control. The idea is to eventually have the original 9 paramedics serve as supervisors, while the others function in house.

This seems to be working so far, surprisingly. Like the NJ plan, percentages of billing will be taken from those stations that secede and used to pay for the services they no longer can maintain on their own. Of course, general county funds will cover billing shortfalls.

This is almost 20 years behind the better funded, more metropolitan counties in the DC/Baltimore area. Props to NJ though!

[pacman]

I understand that this may not be a big deal because other states have been doing it for years! However, I am happy its finally happening, a small step at time.

Dust, what do you mean no ALS in New Jersey? Are you referring to New Jersey not having ALS ambulances that transport patients or are you referring to ALS only being operated by hospitals as opposed to municipalities?

[Dustdevil]

Dust, what do you mean no ALS in New Jersey? Are you referring to New Jersey not having ALS ambulances that transport patients or are you referring to ALS only being operated by hospitals as opposed to municipalities?

The former. They're putting all this thought into providing transportation only, while still not giving a single thought to providing care. This is worse than the nonsense in SoCal. I don't oppose the NJ standard of only hospitals providing ALS care. I think it can be a very good thing, actually. Unfortunately, what it seems to create in most parts of NJ is a utter and complete disconnect between care and transportation, resulting in the chaos they have there now. Instead of trying to improve only one facet of EMS at a time, their efforts would be better spent improving the system as one entity.

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

This is important because the state of NJ is widely considered the worst of the 50 states. This is for a number of reasons, however this decision is ground breaking for them, regardless of the level identified.

Lesson: If NJ is coming along, everyone can.

XOXO

PRPG

[Dustdevil]

Lesson: If NJ is coming along, everyone can.

Excellent point indeed!