EMS System Review - State of New Jersey

State of New Jersey, DHSS, OEMSConsulting Services: EMS System Review• Evaluate the current and predicted workforce demographics in New Jersey, access toEMT and paramedic training, career opportunities, and the volunteer force.• Integrate focus group results and reports from previous objectives to reachconclusions and make recommendations to improve the New Jersey EMS system.Basic Structure of New Jersey EMSThe New Jersey EMS system is two tiered and provides both Basic and Advanced LifeSupport services. Responding to over 800,000 requests for service each year, the New JerseyEMS operating staff includes more than 25,000 volunteers and career providers, including firstresponders, EMTs, paramedics, nurses, and physicians. 6The New Jersey Office of EMS (OEMS) maintains the certification of more than 22,000Emergency Medical Technician–Basics (EMT–B), 1,500 Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedics (EMT–P), and the licensure of more than 3,000 vehicles, including mobilityassistance vehicles, ambulances, mobile intensive care units, specialty care transport units, andair medical units. 7Basic Life Support – Basic Life Support (BLS) services in the State of New Jersey aregenerally responsible for patient hospital transports. BLS providers include both career andvolunteer operators. Career operators are licensed BLS providers that charge fees for servicesprovided. These agencies originally operated primarily within larger cities, such as Trenton,Newark, and Camden, but in recent years have spread into suburban and rural areas. Volunteerservices that wish to charge fees for services must first be licensed then fall under the same rulesas commercial providers. All hospital or municipal-based services must be licensed regardless oftheir fee-for-service status.Volunteer agencies, on the other hand, do not charge for services and are not regulated bythe state. This includes approximately 400 members of the New Jersey State First Aid Council(NJSFAC) and over 110 providers that are neither licensed by the NJOEMS nor members ofNJSFAC. Because the state does not regulate volunteer providers, it is difficult to assure quality,staffing levels, or equipment standards. 86 State of New Jersey Purchase Bureau, Division of Purchase and Property, Department of the Treasury. RFP forAnalytic System Review of the EMS System within the State of New Jersey.7 State of New Jersey, Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of EMS.http://www.state.nj.us/health/ems/index.shtml.8 State of New Jersey Purchase Bureau, Division of Purchase and Property, Department of the Treasury. RFP forAnalytic System Review of the EMS System within the State of New Jersey.TriData, a Division of 9September 2007System Planning Corporation