AMR Takes Over Emergency Response Services In Gloucester Township

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ - As of Monday, American Medical Response Mid-Atlantic (AMR) will handle all emergency response services in Gloucester Township.

Following the sudden collapse of the GTEMS Alliance, Gloucester Township Council approved an agreement with AMR to take over all services during its meeting Monday night.

AMR will handle services through the end of 2022, according to Township Business Administrator Tom Cardis.

AMR serves communities nationwide and has trained over 350,000 people across the country in compression-only CPR, according to its website. It was founded in 1992, and has been the largest ambulance service provider in the United States since 1997.

It has been handling services in Gloucester Township since the GTEMS Alliance became unable to fulfill its duties because its equipment failed to meet requirements. GTEMS Alliance told the township last month it would no longer be able to perform its duties, and assisted with the transition to AMR, according to Cardis.

At that time, some township residents were afraid they weren’t getting adequate emergency response coverage. It appears this agreement will resolve that issue. AMR also bid for services when they were awarded to GTEMS in 2017. The agreement approved Monday night is the same no cost contract AMR submitted at that time.

AMR will have two vehicles available to the township at all times, with a third available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. AMR will set up mobile stations and dispatch from there, Cardis said.

"So one day they might set up at K-Mart, another day they might set up at Wawa, and they will dispatch from those locations," Cardis said.

Resident Sam Sweet voiced concerns about oversight of AMR in light of what happened with GTEMS. While he understands the township can’t maintain oversight of AMR’s operations, he just wants the township to make sure their ambulances are operating properly, and they’re meeting response times.

Cardis said AMR will submit quarterly reports to the township, and officials from both sides will meet periodically. Solicitor David Carlamere advised that during these meetings, township officials can address any issues about meeting requirements they might have with AMR.

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