Healthcare (Hospitals · Public Safety)

This bill requires all New Jersey municipalities to provide basic life support (BLS) ambulance services to meet community needs, designating BLS as an essential service. It specifies five ways municipalities can arrange these services: licensing private companies, contracting with public/private entities, creating mutual aid agreements with other towns, partnering with hospitals, or using existing fire/EMS departments. The law defines BLS as pre-hospital care including CPR, wound stabilization, and emergency transport. This policy change ensures consistent access to emergency medical care across the state by making BLS a mandatory municipal responsibility.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to create and maintain a comprehensive Statewide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Plan. The plan must include regional strategies developed with county health boards, assess current EMS resources and effectiveness, set performance goals for response times and access, and establish metrics for improvement. It directly affects all emergency medical services providers across New Jersey and aims to improve emergency care for all residents by reducing response times, expanding access to high-quality care, and coordinating ambulance, hospital, and trauma center services. The DOH must update the plan every three years and make it publicly available online.