FRANKLIN TWP. — The township has agreed to join Gloucester County EMS.
The township committee voted Thursday night to approve the move, making it the 18th municipality to join the county force.
The county has provided EMS service to the township under a shared services agreement since September as a result of concerns about the local volunteer service’s ability to respond to calls.
“The committee indicated that it was a very difficult decision,” township administrator Nancy Brent said Friday morning. “They have tremendous respect and gratitude for the volunteers, but at the end of the day, the safety of our residents comes first.”
Supporters of the Township of Franklin Ambulance Corps launched a change.org petition last year asking the township to stick with the volunteer service. The squad had been going through “some stressful and difficult times recently,” according to the petition authors.
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The freeholder board voted last week to extend the shared services agreement as the township considered its options.
The county had given Franklin until Feb. 17 to decide if they wanted to join the county service this year so that the county could budget for this added role.
All county taxpayers support the Gloucester County EMS, whether their town uses the service or not. Municipalities pay no additional charge for the service.
The township committee voted in January to form a task force to study the EMS issue.
Task force participants included township committee members, representatives from the local ambulance squad and local residents with backgrounds in finance and experience in generating volunteer support.
Gloucester County EMS currently provides Franklin Township with basic life support services from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday. Millville Rescue Squad provides ambulance service weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The county EMS will assume 24/7 responsibility in Franklin Township on April 2.
Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
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