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MedStar will begin servicing the Wanamassa area in December.
By WILLIAM CLARK
The Wanamassa Emergency Medical Services department will be disbanding come the end of the year.
The district will be serviced by MedStar at the Monmouth County level, following the same move that Oakhurst implemented earlier this year.
There will be no loss in services for residents.
Mayor John Napolitani said he supports the decision and believes that residents will see some relief in their tax burden.
“The bottom line is it worked out beautifully for Ocean because MedStar provides services for zero dollars,” he said of the change in providers in Oakhurst.
Napolitani said the township saved over a half a million dollars since MedStar took responsibility for responses in District Two which covers Oakhurst and Wayside. The plan faced initial pushback when Oakhurst shuttered its EMS operations, asking why the responsibility did not pivot to Wanamassa.
“It proved smart for the taxpayer,” Napolitani said.
Lagging numbers in volunteer bases are a large part of the decision for the change.
“We’re really not positioned well to run a volunteer organization when it comes to fire and EMS because the volunteers are a dying breed,” Napolitani said. “Nobody wants to put the time in anymore. Wanamassa and Oakhurst Fire Department and First Aid members have always been top notch. They know they need the help now. They can’t do it alone anymore. They need to think out of the box. They were handed this service from the county.”
Those who employed by the township will have the opportunity to apply to work with MedStar. The mayor has had multiple discussions with the sheriff and said he was assured there would be opportunities for employees if they choose to apply.
The county has ensured that response times will not increase because MedStar will be positioned in the township. With other adjacent municipalities using the service as well, other units could respond if Ocean’s contingent is out on call.
Napolitani said this move is an example of townships and the county working to alleviate some of the financial hardships that have been placed on residents.
“Taxpayers are mad,” Napolitani said. “They pay a lot of money. If there’s a savings for the taxpayers with a consolidation of services we should do it. Little by little I can’t see how the rest of the county isn’t going to go this route.”
Napolitani said since the county took over Oakhurst the township has not received a single complaint about the service.
The Wanamassa district is also placing all changes on hold as they reevaluate needs. With the county taking over EMS services, the state of the building on the corner of Sunset Avenue and Wickapecko Drive is uncertain.
Although EMS is being disbanded, Napolitani said the fire department remains in operation. But all fire departments are searching for new members to bolster their ranks. If rolls continue to diminish due to affordability of housing within the area for younger homeowners, it is possible that changes will be required to keep each department solvent. Ocean is not alone in that category as multiple towns in the area are in need of volunteers for their departments. Similar shortfalls were highlighted by the Bradley Beach Fire Chief Ron Minsky. Neptune fire departments are also searching for additional volunteers.
