How is Gloucester County Emergency Medical Service (GCEMS) funded?

Because Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is an essential, life-saving service, the goal of regionalization is to ensure that Gloucester County residents and visitors receive quality medical care and equal access to services regardless of where they are within our boundaries. Gloucester County citizens travel throughout the county and should receive equal access to quality medical care regardless of where they are located in their time of need. For this reason, as well as the fact that mutual aid will be provided to those towns that do not join, broad-based support is a fair mechanism for supporting a regionalized EMS system. The County relies on several funding and capital sources:

  • Existing capital structures and assets are leased from the municipalities and current EMS providers
  • Funding from the County budget as needed to provide this essential, life-saving service
  • In 2007, the County recently received a $300,000 grant for a three-year term to support regional and shared services, with regionalized EMS as one such initiative
  • Insurance payments offset a significant portion of the costs. In the first year, Gloucester County received payment, which varies according to the health insurance carrier, for 71% of the patients transported

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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?