PETERSBURG — Upper Township Division of EMS is set to begin providing service to Woodbine on Sept. 15.
John Brittin, chief of the Division of EMS, said the agreement follows almost two years of research, analysis and planning by Upper Township officials and EMS leadership.
The process included reviewing call volume and response data from multiple sources, consulting with industry partners, evaluating staffing and deployment needs, and developing a plan intended to ensure a smooth transition without compromising the level of service Upper Township residents have come to expect, according to Brittin.
Deputy Mayor Victor Nappen, who oversees public safety, said the department would expand to accommodate the new duties.
“Our services are still going to remain as fantastic as they are as we expand into Woodbine,” Nappen said during the Township Committee meeting Aug. 24. “Our agreement with Woodbine to provide EMS is not a situation where Upper is taking the current resources that we have and stretching them out. Our agreement is providing additional revenue that we will be reinvesting directly into EMS in order to increase staffing and strengthen our overall system.”
According to Brittin, Upper Township EMS has hired six EMTs this year and plans to continue hiring additional personnel as it expands its staffing.
The additional personnel will not be dedicated to Woodbine. Instead, they become part of the overall Upper Township EMS system, increasing the number of resources available to respond throughout both communities.
“We are happy to be in a position to meet the EMS needs of one of our neighboring communities, but what makes this agreement especially valuable is that doing so also creates an opportunity to strengthen EMS here at home,” Brittin said. “Woodbine receives a reliable EMS provider, while the additional revenue helps Upper Township invest in more staffing and greater overall system capacity. We see that as a benefit for both communities.”
Woodbine is expected to add about 500 calls per year, an increase of 25 percent, according to Nappen.
Midway through the year, there have been 155 calls in Marmora, 120 calls in Tuckahoe, 114 calls in Seaville and 40 calls in Strathmere.
Nappen said staffing has increased by about 33 percent to handle the expected increase in calls.
“Staffing is increasing at a greater rate than the anticipated call volume,” he said. “That additional staffing not only benefits Woodbine, but will also increase the overall capacity of our EMS system in Upper Township.”
He said more staffed ambulances will lead to a greater ability to handle simultaneous calls, maintain coverage while other ambulances are committed to emergencies and respond to incoming calls.
“Woodbine helps generate additional revenue for the township and part of that revenue will help fund the staffing,” Nappen said. “This additional staffing increases our capacity and will make our system ultimately much stronger.”
According to Brittin, the decision to increase staffing and determine when those additional resources will be deployed was based on historical EMS call data from both Upper Township and Woodbine.
EMS leadership reviewed when calls occurred most frequently, how demand changes throughout the day and when the combined call volume of the two communities is greatest.
Additional staffing is being placed into service during periods when those statistics demonstrate the greatest need.
“While Woodbine’s projected 500 annual calls equate to an average of approximately 1.37 calls per day, emergency calls do not occur according to averages. Some days may have no calls, while others may bring several emergencies within a relatively short period,” Brittin said.
The response plan therefore includes multiple layers of coverage, including regularly staffed ambulances, additional EMS personnel who can be called in when needed, established mutual-aid relationships with neighboring agencies and local fire department first responders when Upper Township resources are committed and another emergency is pending.
Brittin said call volume, response patterns, ambulance utilization, simultaneous calls, staffing needs and other operational factors will continue to be monitored after service begins. Staffing, deployment and procedures can be adjusted as real-world experience provides additional data. “We have spent well over a year preparing for this transition because we wanted to do it the right way,” Brittin said. “We have looked at objective data, sought input from numerous industry partners and spent many hours working through the operational details. At the same time, EMS is dynamic. We will continue monitoring what is actually happening within the system and will adapt as necessary.”
New Jersey American Water presented Upper Township with a $2,282 grant as part of the company’s 2026 Volunteer Fire and EMS Grant Program, which awarded about $50,000 to 21 volunteer fire and EMS departments across its service areas.
The township will use the funding to purchase pagers, helping first responders receive communications more effectively.
“Local first responders understand which tools and resources will have the greatest impact in the communities they serve,” said Kim Schalek Downes, vice president of Business Development, Government and External Affairs. “Through this program, we’re proud to help departments make those important investments year after year.”
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
At top, New Jersey American Water presents a $2,282 Volunteer Fire and EMS Grant to Upper Township. Committeeman Samuel J. Palombo, left; Kim Schalek Downes, vice president of Business Development, Government and External Affairs; Margaret Cruz, Major Accounts manager; Mayor Curtis Corson; and Committeeman Tyler Casaccio.