Support NJ EMS

[NJMedic 96]

www.supportnjems.com

Your HELP is needed!

As a result of your support, EMS Legislation S818/A2095 has passed their respective houses and

is now on the Governor's desk to be either signed or vetoed. Please help convince the

Governor that signing this legislation is the right thing to do and that its passage will help

improve patient care throughout the state.

Please take a moment as soon as possible to call the Governor's office at 609-292-6000 or send a

quick email to the Governor supporting this legislation.

Either way is easy to do and will only take you a minute to complete. Lastly, please forward this to

all of your family and friends to do the same.

OPTION 1:

Call the Governor's office at 609-292-6000 and simply say that you support Bills S818/A2095 and that

you are asking the Governor to sign them into law unconditionally.

OPTION 2:

1. Click on the following link http://www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/

2. Select "Health and Senior Services" from the "Step 1 of 2" drop down menu.

3. Fill in the fields on the subsequent page with the sub-topic "Hospital Issues" and

"Please Sign A2095/S818 Into Law" in the subject box.

4. Copy and paste the below message into the Governor's email or write your own.

5. Click on "Send Your Message" and you are done!

Dear Governor:

I am writing to ask that you sign EMS Legislation S818/A2095 revising requirements for

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Delivery in New Jersey.

This legislation provides New Jersey's EMS system with the foundation it needs to ensure that

every patient receives an emergency medical response from a qualified, capable, licensed EMS

Professional, which may not be the case today. The bill ensures that all providers will be held

accountable to the same standards, which is what all New Jersey residents and visitors deserve

and what I unconditionally support. This legislation puts the patient first, which should be our

most important consideration.

I truly value the volunteer sector of our EMS system and believe that, contrary to what some

opponents may say, this bill supports the entire EMS system, including its volunteers.

I thank you for your attention in this matter and ask again that you sign without condition,

S818/A2095.

Thank you

[ny10570 745]

What does this bill entail and why are the volleys opposed?

[NJMedic 96]

What does this bill entail and why are the volleys opposed?

In 2006, the New Jersey Legislature directed the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services to conduct a study of the New Jersey Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System. The findings of that study indicated the State's enabling EMS legislation and subsequent regulations require comprehensive overhaul in order to allow the system, and its various components, to make necessary improvements in medical care and to function in the most optimal and cost effective manner. The study also found that such changes were needed soon to avoid a catastrophic failure of the system.

At the direction of the NJ State Department of Health and Senior Services, a diverse stakeholder group comprising of the NJ EMS Council and representatives from virtually all EMS component providers was convened. The task force was charged with providing a consensus path to implement the study's recommendations. Members of the task force included representatives of:

American College of Emergency Physicians

(NJ Chapter)

Medical Transportation Association of NJ

NJ State First Aid Council

NJ League of Municipalities

Mobile Intensive Care Unit Advisory Council

JemSTAR

Governor's EMS for Children Advisory Council

St. Barnabas Medical Center Burn Center

NJ Poison Information & Ed System

EMT Training Fund Advisory Council

NJ Trauma Council

NJ Hospital Association

NJ Office of Emergency Management (County EMS Coordinators)

Large BLS and ALS Provider (Suburban)

Legal Counsel

Communications Committee

Professional Firefighters Association of NJ (IAFF)

NJ Career Fire Chiefs Association

NJ State Police

NJ Association of Paramedic Programs

NJ Office of Highway Traffic Safety

Large BLS and ALS Provider (Urban)

NJ Office of Emergency Telecommunications

Emergency Nurses Association

NJ Dept of Health & Senior Services, NJ DHSS, Office of EMS

Individual EMS Physician

Individual Public Member

Individual Volunteer EMT

Individual Career Private EMT

Individual Paramedic

After over 8 months of meetings on the subject, the group developed detailed recomendations to change the EMS system in NJ. New legislation (S 818 and its companion bill A2095) was drafted to incorporate the recommendations and provide for a variety of statutory measures to enhance the scope and quality of the emergency medical services system in New Jersey and to improve its efficiency, streamline its bureaucracy and reduce its overall system cost to patients, taxpayers and the state. The bills were introduced by Senator Joe Vitale (D-Woodbridge) and Assemblyman Herbert Conaway (D-Burlington) in early January, 2010.

On January 20, 2011, the New Jersey Assembly's Health and Human Services Committee amended A2095 and voted to move the bill to the floor of the General Assembly for a vote. The bill continues to address the issues raised by the Legislature's mandated Tri-Data EMS study and the recommendations made by the EMS Council's Task Force in the following ways:

Performance Standards - Establishes a requirement to create system performance standards, both clinical and operational, aimed at improving care to the residents and visitors of New Jersey.Minimum Level of Staffing - A minimum of one emergency medical technician (EMT) as the standard of care for every ambulance in the state. This would be a uniform standard regarding response to, and treatment and transport of, EMS patients to ensure appropriate care for all of New Jersey's citizens.

Emergency Medical Care Advisory Board (EMCAB) - It establishes, through consolidation of numerous groups, task forces and advisory boards, a governing body - the EMCAB, which will include industry leaders serving to advise the Department of Health and Senior Services on prehospital issues, medical care and the establishment of provider standards. Expert members from their field will serve without compensation.

Statewide Medical Direction - Identifies a Statewide Medical Director to function as the New Jersey’s lead physician in guiding the delivery of out-of-hospital medical care.

Licensing of all Ambulances - This will allow the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services to utilize the most up-to-date medical protocols and standards for all of our citizens. It will also help with ease of implementation to allow NJ to move forward on aggressive new medical treatments.

Statutory Authority- The EMS Task Force will gain authority to continue its great work on issues including disasters and terrorism, and to come together quickly in whatever situations our state and its citizens may face.

Presently the NJ State First Aid Council is opposing the law. This group passes itself as a advocacy group of all volunteer base EMS agencies in the Sate, it is not. There are plenty of volunteer ambulance squads that are embarrassed by the NJ State First Aid Council. Presently it is possible to operate a volunteer ambulance in NJ with no trained personnel. There are no standards for volunteer ambulances. There is no requirement that local municipalities provide EMS. There are no standards to say how long it should take an ambulance to respond. These are not rural areas of the state, in fact there are no parts of NJ that would receive a “rural” designation. Volunteer ambulances are not inspected (Career based ambulances are in addition of career based ambulances must meet staffing and equipment regulations. Basically career based ambulances are regulated, volunteers are not.

[Goose 188]

The volleys are upset because it holds them to a standard. No more driver alone smoke and mirror show. This necessary proactive legislation that needs to pass in order to improve patient care, patient outcomes, customer service, and more generally preparedness. I hope this passes.....this sort of stuff is landmark legislation for the tri state region.

Now if only New York lawmakers had the stones to draft, pass and sign similar legislation into law....

Edited January 4, 2012 by Goose

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Wow... Embarrassing.

[Ga-Lin 86]

In 2006, the New Jersey Legislature directed the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services to conduct a study of the New Jersey Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System. The findings of that study indicated the State's enabling EMS legislation and subsequent regulations require comprehensive overhaul in order to allow the system, and its various components, to make necessary improvements in medical care and to function in the most optimal and cost effective manner. The study also found that such changes were needed soon to avoid a catastrophic failure of the system.

At the direction of the NJ State Department of Health and Senior Services, a diverse stakeholder group comprising of the NJ EMS Council and representatives from virtually all EMS component providers was convened. The task force was charged with providing a consensus path to implement the study's recommendations. Members of the task force included representatives of:

American College of Emergency Physicians

(NJ Chapter)

Medical Transportation Association of NJ

NJ State First Aid Council

NJ League of Municipalities

Mobile Intensive Care Unit Advisory Council

JemSTAR

Governor's EMS for Children Advisory Council

St. Barnabas Medical Center Burn Center

NJ Poison Information & Ed System

EMT Training Fund Advisory Council

NJ Trauma Council

NJ Hospital Association

NJ Office of Emergency Management (County EMS Coordinators)

Large BLS and ALS Provider (Suburban)

Legal Counsel

Communications Committee

Professional Firefighters Association of NJ (IAFF)

NJ Career Fire Chiefs Association

NJ State Police

NJ Association of Paramedic Programs

NJ Office of Highway Traffic Safety

Large BLS and ALS Provider (Urban)

NJ Office of Emergency Telecommunications

Emergency Nurses Association

NJ Dept of Health & Senior Services, NJ DHSS, Office of EMS

Individual EMS Physician

Individual Public Member

Individual Volunteer EMT

Individual Career Private EMT

Individual Paramedic

After over 8 months of meetings on the subject, the group developed detailed recomendations to change the EMS system in NJ. New legislation (S 818 and its companion bill A2095) was drafted to incorporate the recommendations and provide for a variety of statutory measures to enhance the scope and quality of the emergency medical services system in New Jersey and to improve its efficiency, streamline its bureaucracy and reduce its overall system cost to patients, taxpayers and the state. The bills were introduced by Senator Joe Vitale (D-Woodbridge) and Assemblyman Herbert Conaway (D-Burlington) in early January, 2010.

On January 20, 2011, the New Jersey Assembly's Health and Human Services Committee amended A2095 and voted to move the bill to the floor of the General Assembly for a vote. The bill continues to address the issues raised by the Legislature's mandated Tri-Data EMS study and the recommendations made by the EMS Council's Task Force in the following ways:

Performance Standards - Establishes a requirement to create system performance standards, both clinical and operational, aimed at improving care to the residents and visitors of New Jersey.Minimum Level of Staffing - A minimum of one emergency medical technician (EMT) as the standard of care for every ambulance in the state. This would be a uniform standard regarding response to, and treatment and transport of, EMS patients to ensure appropriate care for all of New Jersey's citizens.

Emergency Medical Care Advisory Board (EMCAB) - It establishes, through consolidation of numerous groups, task forces and advisory boards, a governing body - the EMCAB, which will include industry leaders serving to advise the Department of Health and Senior Services on prehospital issues, medical care and the establishment of provider standards. Expert members from their field will serve without compensation.

Statewide Medical Direction - Identifies a Statewide Medical Director to function as the New Jersey’s lead physician in guiding the delivery of out-of-hospital medical care.

Licensing of all Ambulances - This will allow the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services to utilize the most up-to-date medical protocols and standards for all of our citizens. It will also help with ease of implementation to allow NJ to move forward on aggressive new medical treatments.

Statutory Authority- The EMS Task Force will gain authority to continue its great work on issues including disasters and terrorism, and to come together quickly in whatever situations our state and its citizens may face.

Presently the NJ State First Aid Council is opposing the law. This group passes itself as a advocacy group of all volunteer base EMS agencies in the Sate, it is not. There are plenty of volunteer ambulance squads that are embarrassed by the NJ State First Aid Council. Presently it is possible to operate a volunteer ambulance in NJ with no trained personnel. There are no standards for volunteer ambulances. There is no requirement that local municipalities provide EMS. There are no standards to say how long it should take an ambulance to respond. These are not rural areas of the state, in fact there are no parts of NJ that would receive a “rural” designation. Volunteer ambulances are not inspected (Career based ambulances are in addition of career based ambulances must meet staffing and equipment regulations. Basically career based ambulances are regulated, volunteers are not.

The NJ First Aid Council, the main reason I never even considered looking for work in NJ. I remember back in the late 70's early 80's how they fought against even the idea of certifying EMT's in the state, insisting that their "10 point system" was more then adequate. They also, along with the nursing lobby, delayed the development of ALS within the state for years. NY does have its problems but not to the extent that I've read about in NJ. I wouldn't mind NJ becoming a leader in EMS legislation, lots of luck to you.

[EMT111 149]

The volleys are upset because it holds them to a standard. No more driver alone smoke and mirror show. This necessary proactive legislation that needs to pass in order to improve patient care, patient outcomes, customer service, and more generally preparedness. I hope this passes.....this sort of stuff is landmark legislation for the tri state region.

Now if only New York lawmakers had the stones to draft, pass and sign similar legislation into law....

New York already does require a minimum of 1 EMT on an ambulance, including volunteer corps, and does do inspections of all ambulances statewide. All agencies that are New York State certified are held to state standards no matter if they are career or volunteer.

[ny10570 745]

NJmedic...HOLY CRAP, I had no idea how far behind Jersey was those respects. Than you for the explanation. You've got my call, and an e-mail going out to all my family in Jersey.

[EFFD4091-MLSS emt 13]

New York already does require a minimum of 1 EMT on an ambulance, including volunteer corps, and does do inspections of all ambulances statewide. All agencies that are New York State certified are held to state standards no matter if they are career or volunteer.

pretty sure he is referring to the Statewide Unified Protocols, etc. etc.

[Bnechis 3,961]

The volleys are upset because it holds them to a standard. No more driver alone smoke and mirror show. This necessary proactive legislation that needs to pass in order to improve patient care, patient outcomes, customer service, and more generally preparedness. I hope this passes.....this sort of stuff is landmark legislation for the tri state region.

Now if only New York lawmakers had the stones to draft, pass and sign similar legislation into law....

NYS has mandated most of this for many years. What NYS is missing is enforcement of the regulations.