More consistent daytime coverage sought.
By: Purvi Desai
PLUMSTED Residents soon can count on a quick response by emergency personnel when a critical situation arises.
The township has created its first Basic Life Support Program with two full-time paid officers and one part-time paid officer that will assist the New Egypt First Aid Squad in providing coverage during daytime hours when volunteer availability is more limited, said Mayor Ron Dancer.
At a Township Committee meeting Monday night, David Rogers Jr. was appointed chief community service officer, and Jody Byrne was named community service officer, Mayor Dancer said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The chief community service officer will receive between $32,000 and $38,000 a year, the community service officer between $26,000 and $32,000, and the part-time officer between $12.50 and $13.45 an hour, according to the salary ordinances that were adopted by the Township Committee April 10.
Mr. Rogers, who was captain of the New Egypt First Aid Squad prior to being appointed chief of the Basic Life Support Program, said he will work to make the two entities stronger.
"I’m looking forward to running the department as efficiently as possible to provide the best care for residents," he said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The Basic Life Support Program will be based out of the same Brynmore Road offices as the New Egypt First Aid Squad, and the state has authorized them to also use the same vehicles and equipment.
Mr. Rogers and Ms. Byrne will not assume their new positions immediately, as they have to be certified by the state, said Mayor Dancer. That process "could take up to two to three weeks," he said.
The third position, a part-time community service officer, has been advertised in the media, Mayor Dancer said.
"They are doing interviews this week," he said.
Representatives from the volunteer first aid squad and Township Committee were in charge of the interviews, he said.
The Basic Life Support Program will be operating 35 to 40 hours during the week, while during the weekend there will be more volunteers on call, Mayor Dancer said.
"The reason we’re going to this program during the daytime is because in today’s economy, families have become dual-income earners," he said. "Both spouses are trying to make ends meet by working jobs during the day and it has created a coverage problem, and we want to make sure that we have a coverage response during the day. That’s not unique to Plumsted."
Mayor Dancer said three conditions were placed before the full-time daytime squad was created.
"Number one was this program cannot increase taxes," he said. "Two, to have a program that would be self-supporting. Third, there would be no charge to residents."
The mayor said private insurance companies and Medicare and Medicaid would be the only entities paying for the service.
"The residents of Plumsted will not receive a bill if they do not have insurance," he said.
Mr. Rogers said the current volunteer personnel are there to supplement the Basic Life Support Program.
"There are about 48 active volunteers," he said.
Currently, during the day, the volunteer squad operates between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and it is called an all-call, where any available personnel respond when an emergency arises.
"At nighttime, there are designated crews," Mr. Rogers said, adding they work throughout the night. "We have six vehicles, four ambulances, one heavy rescue vehicle and a spec services unit.
"We anticipate to increase our availability," he said. "We anticipate that both organizations will work efficiently and proficiently to provide the services required by the residents."
He said the decision was made to supplement the volunteer squad, whose members are sometimes unable to respond to calls because they work other jobs.
"They volunteer 24 hours a day, seven days a week and a majority of them are New Jersey state certified EMTs," he said.
Mr. Rogers said the two departments are technically different and he will work to increase the volunteer membership.

