HUDSON COUNTY — The Hudson County Board of Freeholders has awarded Jersey City Medical Center’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) the contract for 9-1-1 medical call screening for Hudson County. It does not cover calls made in Bayonne, Hoboken and Secaucus, which have their own 9-1-1 screening systems currently in place. Jersey City calls, which are also separate, are already screened as part of Jersey City’s existing contract with the Medical Center.
The one-year contract, beginning Aug. 1, was issued to the medical center’s EMS after being awarded a year ago to an agency outside of Hudson County. It had previously been with JCMC for over 20 years since the inception of the 9-1-1 system. Callers who dial 9-1-1 are first asked if it’s a police, fire, or medical emergency.
The contract involves the screening and processing of all 9-1-1 medical emergency calls. This insures the dispatch of proper local assets and respondents to the scene.
“We’re very pleased to receive the contract again,” said Jim Dwyer, director of the Jersey City Medical Center EMS. “We feel because we’re a local agency we have the familiarity with the geographies and municipalities in Hudson County needed to know where people are calling from and notify the proper resources.”
Added Rick Sposa, EMS Communications Coordinator, “Our certified emergency call takers have the breadth of experience needed to provide the instantaneous instruction over the phone before help arrives 24/7 for such common emergency situations as chest pain, cardiac arrest, child birth and choking in several languages.”
“We believe our EMS can provide the best, most effective service to the residents of Hudson County in the most economic manner,” said Joe Scott, President of Jersey City Medical Center, who praised the Board of Freeholders and Sheriff Frank Schillari for bringing the call screening back to Hudson County.