WARETOWN – While emergency response times appear problematic in some neighboring communities, the Waretown First Aid Squad has its calls covered. That is, during the hours assigned to them.
The local ambulance team made up entirely of volunteers performs vital community services daily from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. and throughout the weekend. According to Jason Dougherty, Captain of the Waretown First Squad, the team rarely calls for mutual aid during their assigned hours.
“We’ve only had to ask for mutual aid when we’ve been on another call,” Dougherty said. “We generally work with Barnegat, Stafford, and Lacey.”
Daytime EMS coverage poses a concerning issue to Ocean Township leaders. Most volunteers are busy at their paid jobs, and no one’s around to man the rigs.
During the year 2021, the call volume for Ocean Township reached an all-time high of 1,466 calls. This represented approximately an average of 122 calls per month and an average of four calls per day.
Quality Medical Transport, a private ambulance service, regularly covered ambulance calls in the small community of just over 9,000 residents. However, the company recently advised the township they can’t guarantee their availability.
“Every single day in the afternoon, I get a text message from Quality letting me know if they’re not able to cover for the day, or only on a partial basis,” Chief Michal J. Rogalski said. “We then relay that message to the First Aid Squad in the hopes they can send it out to their membership and see if they can find some coverage.”
It’s well documented that volunteerism is down throughout the country. While COVID-19 undoubtedly influenced the number of individuals signing up for EMT work, the problem existed before anyone ever heard of the virus.
“This isn’t just a small issue; it’s a large one,” submitted Diane Ambrosio, Township Business Administrator/Municipal Clerk. “It’s not just our town or county but throughout the state of New Jersey.”
At the end of January, officials received notification from Quality Medical Transport that they would no longer be able to guarantee that an ambulance would be available for coverage in Ocean Township.
According to Quality’s president, Salvatore Murante, Sr., the company would no longer need employees with only Emergency Medical Responders credentials. Additionally, legislation requiring vaccine mandates could mean the loss of at least 15 percent of the ambulance company’s staff.
“Since very early in the pandemic, the state has allowed licensed ambulances to be operated by a state-certified Emergency Medical Technician and an Emergency Medical Responder,” wrote Murante. “This has greatly supported the Emergency Medical Services in the state to continue to provide the immediate and effective responses and services needed by our population.”
The notification comes on the heels of some interesting developments in Barnegat, which sits directly south of Ocean Township. Barnegat’s First Aid Squad had such an issue with recruitment and retention of volunteer members that it severely affected their response times.
At a recent Barnegat Township Committee meeting, government leaders voted to award over $12,000 monthly to a private ambulance service with a guarantee of round-the-clock coverage daily. The Barnegat First Aid Squad no longer has standard hours and serves as back-up to the sole bidder on the contract, which was Quality Medical Services.
With Barnegat as one of the towns providing mutual aid, this poses an interesting question. Depending on availability, either Quality or Barnegat First Aid could be sent to Ocean Township to cover calls.
Meanwhile, Ocean Township leaders recognize the importance of ensuring daytime EMS coverage. They passed a resolution authorizing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to seek bids from private companies to assist the Township’s First Aid Squad in the delivery of EMS services.
The RFP requests bidders to provide ambulance services on a full-time basis throughout the year and maintain a minimum of 90 percent call response rate.
Private ambulance services submit bills to insurance companies, with deductibles and allowable balances sent to patients. The Waretown First Aid Squad does not bill for its services.
“We would, of course, prefer to have coverage from the volunteers 24 hours a day,” Mayor Ben LoParo said. “Our volunteers do an outstanding job and are committed to serving a community.”
Deputy Mayor Ken Baulderstone suggested that the squad reach out to Greenbriar residents to see if any of them would be interested in contributing to volunteer efforts. He felt retired people might be willing to cover daytime hours.
In the meantime, Dougherty also says he hopes to recruit more members to the volunteer squad. Dougherty, a professional EMT in another Ocean County town, extolled the benefits many have seen from working with their town’s local first aid squad.
“We have a few cadets as young as 16,” said Dougherty. “Many people start off as volunteers and ultimately move into the medical profession as nurses and even doctors.”
Those wishing to volunteer for the Waretown Fire Aid Squad can send an email to info@waretownfirstaid.com Applications and information about the squad’s call volume can be found at waretownfirstaid.com.
In Barnegat, the town’s first aid squad president, James Goldstein, continues to recruit members. He now intends to visit Barnegat High School and local retirement communities to express the need for volunteers. Goldstein invites interested parties to visit squad11.org.
Salvatore Murante, Sr. of Quality Medical Transport, did not respond to requests for comment about Waretown. A recent job posting for the company says they are looking for Emergency Medical Technicians at a starting pay of $18 per hour to work in Freehold, Barnegat, North Hanover, and Tuckerton.
