How is Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) performing and how has regionalizing improved EMS for those municipalities that join?

The performance of the regionalized system is evaluated on a call by call basis. A review of the first year of performance found that calls for service are answered with an average response time under 6 minutes. These statistics show that the regional system operates well under the 8 minute, 59 seconds "Gold Standard" response time goal adopted by the Board of Chosen Commissioners.

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)

At this time, many non-participating municipalities do not have Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) covering emergency calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and find weekday coverage being of particular difficulty. Prior to implementing regionalized Emergency Medical Service (EMS), the County assessed non-responses of the various EMS agencies in the County. A non-response is when a squad is contacted for an emergency and the squad does not respond to the call. Whenever this occurs, the next nearest squad by mutual aid is dispatched. Sometimes several squads have to be dispatched before the emergency is responded to. 

Wasting Resources

This process wastes valuable time during an emergency. Significant cost savings have been realized by the participating municipalities, saving local tax dollars. For the first year of operation, participating municipalities reported 2.6 million dollars in avoided costs.

Improving Response Times

Most important of all, a full-time, paid service that is "in station 24-7" has improved response times and provided more reliability to the system because prior to regionalization many municipalities did not have this type of around-the-clock, reliable coverage. Municipalities that have not joined Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) are encouraged to consider joining. Time counts with emergency medical services and being able to respond quickly can be a matter of life and death.

Show All Answers

1. What is Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service?
2. How many municipalities have joined the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) regional service?
3. What is the current staffing level at Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (EMS)?
4. How is Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) performing and how has regionalizing improved EMS for those municipalities that join?
5. What steps are involved with a municipality joining the regionalized system?
6. Who oversees the operation of Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service?
7. Are Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service ambulances available to cover community events?
8. What other activities does Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service provide?
9. What are response areas?
10. Where do the ambulances and stations come from?
11. How is Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) funded?
12. Will patients be billed for service, will the Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) provide services to those without insurance and will the County profit from these payments?
13. Will Emergency Medical Service (EMS) regionalization increase County expenditures?
14. Has the County considered subsidizing existing squads to increase staff and ambulances to cover areas?
15. Is there a role for volunteers in Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS)?
16. Will employees currently employed by a municipality or volunteers in the field be hired by the County?
17. Will Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) ambulances stand by at working fires?
18. Will Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) do wellness visits to senior centers, outreach to schools and other public education activities such as Vial of Life, etc.?
19. Will Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) participate in task force activities and assignments?
20. Has the County considered regionalizing fire service?
21. How do I call for Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS)?
22. What hospital will Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) take me to?
23. Why do I see Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) ambulances parked at several locations around the county?
24. An elderly family member must use an ambulance to get to her appointment at the doctor’s office, but it's not an emergency. What should I do?
25. A disabled family member has slipped out of his/her wheelchair and isn’t hurt, but I am unable to lift her back up off the floor. I don’t know where to turn for help, what should I do?
26. When did Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) begin providing services?
27. When should I call 911 for Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS)?
28. Who will take care of me if I call 911 in a medical emergency?
29. Will I be invoiced for services I receive from Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS)EMS?
30. I recently received a check in the mail from my insurance company for ambulance transportation; what should I do?
31. Do all Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) ambulances respond to calls with their lights and sirens on?
32. What is an Emergency Department or hospital diversion?
33. I think I'd like to work with Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS). What do I need to do?