Questions continue to arise after ambulance service was shut down in a South Jersey community.
It happened in Gloucester Township in Camden County. At 8:15 a.m., the New Jersey State Health Department surprised the Gloucecster Township EMS Alliance Ambulance Service with an inspection.
“In addition to numerous EMS code violations, this inspection found that these ambulances were unregistered motor vehicles,” said Chief Harry Earle of the Gloucester Township Police Department. “Additionally two ambulances were found to be uninspected, one ambulance was at a repair facility and the EMS Alliance command vehicle was also found to be unregistered.”
The EMS Alliance is a private non-profit ambulance company that has provided service for Gloucester Township for the last decade. Five of their ambulances were put out of service after the inspection.
“I’m very disappointed for the residents of Gloucester Township,” said Thomas Eden, the chief of the EMS Alliance. “They’re the ones who are going to suffer.
Eden insists the decision is politically motivated but declined to go into detail when asked by NBC10.
“I’d rather not get into that,” said Eden. “My attorneys will talk to you in the future.”
During the day, the five fire companies in Gloucester Township were told they would respond to emergency medical calls with trained paramedics. Extra ambulances from the neighboring towns of Pine Hill and Runnemede have also helped to cover any calls for the township of 70,000 people. The firefighters union believes this could cause a four or five minute delay.
“The delay could be disastrous in the wrong situation,” said Keith Kemery of the International Association of Firefighters.
“I don’t know what happened this morning,” said Eden. “I don’t know why the chief put the residents of Gloucester Township in danger.”
“As it was evident today, the day to day management of this non-profit organization is not only lacking but was in disarray,” said Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer.
The State Health Department put three of the ambulances back in service. As of 6 p.m. however the Kennedy Health System is providing the township with permanent ambulance service.
