By Donald Wittkowski
City Council gave final approval Tuesday for the creation of a new professional emergency medical services unit that will take charge of round-the-clock ambulance and rescue operations in Sea Isle City.
Approved by a 5-0 vote, the switch to a paid EMS unit means that the city will no longer rely on a volunteer ambulance squad to provide rescue services.
Founded in 1956, the ambulance corps has struggled recently to find enough volunteers to staff its 12-hour shifts. Mayor Leonard Desiderio has cited the “diminishing ability” of the ambulance squad as the reason for creating a professional EMS staff under the city’s control.
City officials have declined to characterize the EMS plan as an outright takeover of the ambulance corps because volunteers will be used to supplement the new full-time emergency workers as part of a hybrid force.
Sea Isle Business Administrator George Savastano said the city will also look to hire as many qualified members of the ambulance squad as possible for the new EMS unit. Previously, city officials said the unit will have eight to 10 full-time employees and eight to 10 part-timers.
“We will have a fair amount of latitude to hire certified EMTs, the folks who are doing the job,” Savastano told the Council members.
The city’s 2017 municipal budget includes about $600,000 in new spending to create the EMS unit. EMS Consulting, a Hammonton consulting company, is helping Sea Isle with the hiring process and transition from the volunteer corps to a professional operation.
City officials praised the ambulance squad for its decades of service. Council President William Kehner called it “second to none.” However, city officials said that a dwindling number of volunteers in recent years had underscored the need for a paid EMS unit.
“The goal of the city is to provide the best possible EMT services,” City Solicitor Paul Baldini said.
Volunteers have been unable to devote enough time to the ambulance squad because of the demands of their full-time jobs, city officials pointed out.
Kris Lynch, ambulance squad chief, explained there are about 40 volunteers overall, but fewer than 20 are available for the 12-hour shifts. She also said that only three of the squad’s EMTs live in Sea Isle, with the rest residing in surrounding communities.
Lynch, who had previously been ambivalent about the switch to a professional EMS unit, may possibly join it as a paid employee. Savastano announced at the Council meeting that the city has talked to Lynch about interviewing for the job.
In remarks to Council, Lynch stressed that the ambulance squad remains proud of its 60-year history and intends to stay in existence. She noted it is planning to send out letters seeking donations from the public.
Lynch said Sea Isle’s volunteer ambulance squad is the only remaining one of its kind in Cape May County. Despite the transition to the professional EMS unit, the volunteers are ready to help out in “any way we can,” she said.
