Interagency Relations
JCMC EMS works in close coordination with Municipal, County and State agencies. The extraordinary value of this integrated emergency medical services network is on display every day for routine emergencies as well as major incidents.
Jersey City Medical Center EMS has an extraordinary close relationship with the Jersey City Police Department dating back to its inception. As far back as the 1870's, the Jersey City Police Department assisted Jersey City Medical Center EMS by driving the ambulances to the calls. This practice continued well into the Twentieth Century. Today, we have the benefit of working with one of only a handful of fully equipped 24/7 Police Department Emergency Services Units (ESUs). JCPD ESU provides support to EMS in the form of vehicle extrication, maritime rescue, CBRNE response, forcible entry, as well as being the only division of the police department that undergoes regular medical training and carries first responder equipment on all of their units. This assistance is all provided above and beyond their normal police duties such as tactical entry and bomb response. Beyond the ESU, the men and women of the JCPD Patrol Bureau work day in and day out responding to emergencies side by side with Jersey City Medical Center EMS. The officers of the Jersey City Police Department keep our EMTs and Paramedics safe every day and ensure that they return home safely at the end of their tour.
The relationship with the Jersey City Fire Department is a much younger relationship, but equally as strong. Since 1998, The Jersey City Fire Department has provided First Responder services for all high acuity calls in Jersey City. The Jersey City Medical Center EMS Education Department regularly trains and updates all of the members of the Jersey City Fire Department in the latest in first responder training. The First Responders of the Fire Department provide immediate care to life threatening injuries and illnesses, and can assist the EMS crews with extrication and patient transport. In addition, the Rescue Services and Special Operations Division of the Fire Department are some of the most extensive in the state. Jersey City Medical Center EMS works closely with the Fire Department during vehicle extrication, high angle rescue, confined space rescue, and hazardous materials response. In addition, Jersey City Medical Center EMS provides stand by services during all fires that the Jersey City Fire Department responds to, regardless of location, and assists with medical rehabilitation of their responders.
Jersey City, like many major American cities, has a unique collection of various law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions. In addition to the Jersey City Police Department, Jersey City Medical Center EMS works closely with the Secaucus Police Department, the Port Authority Police Department, the NJ Transit Police Department, the Hudson County Sherriff's Department, The New Jersey State Park Police, the New Jersey State Police, the United States Park Police, the United State Coast Guard, as well as the New York City Police Department.
As the state designated ALS provider for Hudson County, Jersey City Medical Center EMS interfaces on a daily basis with the other municipal and contracted BLS agencies. Our partner agency to the south is McCabe Ambulance, which serves the BLS needs of Bayonne, NJ. To the north, Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance, North Bergen EMS, Weehawken First Aid Squad, Union City Police EMS, and West New York EMS each provide BLS services to their respective municipality. The dedicated crews of these agencies work hand-in-hand with our Paramedics to provide the highest quality of care to the residents of Hudson County.
On rare occasion, the volume of 9-1-1 calls in Jersey City exceeds the capabilities of Jersey City Medical Center EMS. On those rare occasions, we utilize the strong mutual aid agreements we have developed with private ambulance providers in and around Jersey City. Amb-u-Car, AmCare, and McCabe Ambulance provide assistance to our agency during unusual surges in volume. Beyond Jersey City, other hospitals provide mutual aid assistance when needed in the distant regions of Hudson County. On occasion, Englewood Hospital, Holy Name Hospital, Hackensack Medical Center, as well as MONOC provide assistance to Jersey City Medical Center EMS.
As the largest EMS provider in the county, Jersey City Medical Center EMS often finds itself playing a part of Incidents of Significance in Jersey City and beyond. Jersey City Medical Center EMS works closely with Jersey City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Hudson County OEM in coordinating large scale EMS responses. Jersey City Medical Center EMS has both utilized, and participated in, mobilization of the New Jersey State EMS Task Force. The State EMS Task Force is a consortium of private and public EMS agencies coordinated through the statewide REMCS Communications Center, developed to respond to incidents of significance in New Jersey.