Freehold Emergency Medical Service

How do I become a part of the excellent and noble tradition of Volunteer Emergency Services?

Great question and thank you for asking! If this article does not answer your questions then please keep asking from either our Contacts Form or by coming by our location on any Thursday after 7 PM!

The process to join Freehold First Aid squad involves steps on both your part and on the part of the Squad. This article attempts to describe, at least in summary, all of these steps to help you understand the journey to membership.

What You Need To Do

Take the initiative to submit your application, get registered on the state training site, and find and complete the CPR course and the First Aid course, all of which are discussed more below.

A Quick Note on Residence and Age

In emergencies time is a critical factor so it is a necessary requirement that our members be able to report to the Squad Building on an alert quickly. Because of this we require either a residence within five miles of the Freehold First Aid Building, or that your situation otherwise enables your ability to be local to the Squad Building when on duty or responding to First Aid alerts.

The age of 15 & 1/2 is where our Cadet Program begins, allowing young adults to serve as a Cadet. We have many Cadet-age EMTs who respond as valued members of a First Aid crew. After the age of 18 the member is able to consider other membership paths, which are described a little more later in this article.

Online Application

To get started complete our Online Application so we know of your interest and can begin the application process. When you submit this application it goes right to our Trustees and you can consider it in our hands. We work to keep the online application complete enough to learn more about you and short enough to make it a quick process. During your interview and reception into the squad, you may be requested to complete an addendum for our application records.

Paper Application

If computer or web issues prevent a successful online application never fear, just come on by the squad during any day and you'll probably find it open with crews busy at work, and just ask for our paper membership application. Thursday evenings after 7 PM can guarantee the Squad to be open for both pick up and drop-off of your Paper Application, or simply return it in the mail slot on the front of our building.

Please Call Us Back Soon

While we would ask for your patience since it may take a week or more to reply to your application, once we do reach out it indicates we can begin moving quickly, and the faster you reply back to our first outreach the sooner next steps can be made. Any delay in calling us back could cause you to miss an important class or event that will take time to come around again.

Background Check

EMS workers attend to citizens who are often in a vulnerable disposition and our patients put their trust in our care. For all of these reasons and more we cooperate with State and Federal agencies and check the background of all candidates and members. Completing our application extends your agreement to allowing for Freehold First Aid to carry out such background practices as recommended by State and Federal authorities.

Fingerprinting

As part of these checks a fingerprinting audit is required. This service is no longer provided by local Police, but is instead an ink-free, computerized service. Following your interview you will be provided a form by Freehold First Aid Trustees with details on how to make an appointment with the computerized fingerprint agency, currently located outside of Freehold, about 20 minutes away. Please schedule and complete this activity as soon as possible. Though there is a nominal cost to you for this service up front, bring your receipts to your next visit and you will be reimbursed for your fingerprinting service fees.

State Certification System

New Jersey requires we all sign up at www.NJOEMSCERT.com to create a new profile. The ID number you are assigned becomes your State ID going forward, and all of your training records are recorded in your profile transcript. Visit NJOEMSCERT.com and create your profile. Using the tools within the NJOEMSCERT website you can browse the Course Catalog and find CPR classes. Your CPR and First Aid classes, which are required and encouraged at your earliest ability to take, are discussed in greater detail, below.

You can use this same course catalog at NJOEMSCERT to find EMT training that fits your situation. Looking and planning ahead is helpful so you are mindful of what your options are when you begin to talk to our Squad Trustees about your training plans. The Officers and members will have lots of suggestions about which EMT program is best; but the ultimate choice is yours based on what works for you. The good news is that there are lots of options!

Note that NJOEMSCERT is not a training provider and only lists courses from other training organizations. The courses listed are statewide, and some of the courses listed are not necessarily in the Freehold area. In all cases you need to read the Class Summary carefully as some classes are restricted to just members of the organization that is sponsoring the class.

CPR Class

If you can obtain clear confirmation that Freehold First Aid or an area EMS Squad is holding a CPR for Healthcare Providers (or similar) class, please work to take this class. Your initial investment will be less than $50, and that is a smaller reimbursement that your Squad will need to bear as well. If not available through Freehold or local EMS, Centra State may be your best bet, though you can use the information provided, below, to find an alternative that fits your schedule.

The CPR course you should pursue is the American Heart Association (AEA) CPR for Healthcare Providers, also known as HeartSaver CPR. When registering you should request the current version of the course that is required by New Jersey EMTs, and be sure it includes Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training. You may find this course named HeartSaver CPR AED, or even HeartSaver First Aid CPR AED.

First Aid Class

If you can obtain clear confirmation that Freehold First Aid or an area EMS Squad is holding a First Aid class, please work to take this class. Your initial investment will be less than $50, and that is a smaller reimbursement that your Squad will need to bear as well. If not available through Freehold or local EMS, Centra State may be your best bet, though you can use the information provided, below, to find an alternative that fits your schedule.

First Aid is often held as a combination class with HeartSaver CPR, and may be listed as HeartSaver First Aid CPR AED. Be mindful that an EMS squad holding a class named CPR or First Aid may not be the combination course. If you already have your CPR for HealthCare Providers and/or are looking for the stand alone First Aid course, look for the American Heart Association HeartSaver First Aid class. Centra State has this course offering, too.

Here are some important links regarding this class and the Centra State programs:

AEA HeartSaver Course Descriptions

Centra State Course Descriptions

Centra State Course Registration Calendar

Come on Down!

During your application process you are still welcome to come by the Squad (Thursdays after 7 PM are a good bet) and ask questions! Let the folks know you are working on your membership but would like to know much more. Importantly, by coming by you will make yourself known to voting members who ultimately will vote when your membership is submitted during the Business Meeting for acceptance. And finally there is the benefit that you can learn where your application is in the process by coming by and asking about its status; especially if you feel that several weeks have gone by with no updates from the Squad. After you are told by Squad Officers that you have been 'read in' and are a member, we very much want to see you on Thursdays. Your help to keep our organization in the best condition is crucial, and your learning curve will benefit greatly from being around the crews.

Let's Ride!

When the stars align and you are both a member and have your CPR and First Aid Certification you are fully ready to join First Aid calls and assist as a Riding Observer. The Observer role is an important member of Emergency Medical Services, providing all kinds of assistance to the EMTs and Paramedics attending to First Aid calls. One of the most exciting parts of pursuing your EMT certification is that while you are attending EMT classes you are also riding on First Aid calls as a Riding Observer and watching everything you see in class practiced in real life. Few other vocations and opportunities exist, anywhere, allowing you to train, learn, and exercise your knowledge at the same time in powerful way.

Your EMT Class

At this point you have been read-in as a member, have completed your CPR and have done some calls as a Riding Observer. It is best to prepare in advance for the EMT course/location you feel is a best fit, using the NJOEMSCERT.com course catalog. While you have been working toward this point, other members are great resources to learn which EMT programs are recommended. Consult with the Captain on how to get authorization to enroll, and then enroll and be ready at your earliest.The EMT course requires committment and discipline just like a college level course. The material is engaging and can be challenging unless you read and practice exactly as you are instructed. Expect about 120 hours of total course time, delivered in whatever daily or weekly format that your particular program is scheduled.

Answering First Aid Alerts

As a Riding Observer you help make for a comprehensive crew. As an EMT you are the critical 'Second' that enables a crew to be dispatched. EMTs are truly a precious resource and a squad without enough EMTs is mostly just a garage. Because the EMT is the heart of First Aid, upon completion of your training we truly hope that you will stay and share your skills with your hometown, and become a long time member of Freehold First Aid Squad.

Duty

As a volunteer at Freehold EMS your value as an active EMT cannot be overstated. As an organization, however, Freehold EMS needs your help on other levels. Every aspect of our operation exists on the contribution and skills of each of our Volunteers. The condition and cleanliness of the building, grounds, rigs and supplies - are reflections of the organization and the individuals within. When you are at the Squad Building, you will be asked to be diligent helping to keep everything clean, running, and organized. We are a sum of our parts, and as is the case in any organization, we need our veterans to set an excellent example, and our younger crew to assume the responsibility that comes from doing ones duty.

What Freehold First Aid Needs To Do

Freehold First Aid would not exist without Freehold volunteers. And each one that comes through our door needs particular nurturing to ensure there is no doubt as to how welcome and how valued the volunteer is. To help us ensure of that, let's review what the Squad is going to do to help make this application process a success!

Website

'Back in the day' we would print out instructions like this and hide them in a drawer because we made 200 copies and the information is out of date. Today we have the Web and can ensure our information is current, relevant, and easy to find. If for any reason you find the website less than helpful, please Contact the Webmaster and share your experience so we can make it the best possible resource for you now, and as a veteran member.

Application Processing

All applications are reviewed by a team of Trustees and the bulk of the first review and then Interview work is done on the First Thursday of each month at the Freehold EMS Business Meeting. Because this opportunity comes around each month, it is possible that your application could see as much as four weeks before a call-back. This does not mean we are not interested in your interest in us. Quite the contrary. However we will act on your application as soon as possible, but if you have not had any contact in about five weeks since your application was submitted, please Contact Us to check in. Time constraints of volunteers who have lots of other responsibilities prevent a rapid turn-around, and we do not operate a full-time, Monday - Friday, office presence.

Interview and Tour

At the next first Thursday after your application is submitted and reviewed, a meeting will be scheduled for you to discuss your thoughts with our Trustees and Officers, and you can ask lots of questions. More details will be provided about your options regarding membership when you have your Trustee meeting but a very rough summary of our membership types is:

Senior Squad Member

Attends meetings where policies and decisions are made and can vote; should help on about 15 calls per month.

Associate Member

May attend meetings but cannot vote; should help on about 12 calls per month.

For your first year you are considered a Probationary member, and your call goals are raised about 4 or 5 per month above your membership goal. The evening of your Trustee meeting a member might also be detached to show you around our legendary Squad building and take you through the rigs (ambulance).

Auxiliary Member

The Auxiliary is a crucial corps of hard-working and sincerely appreciated members who do not answer First Aid calls. However the Auxiliary is instrumental in assisting with non-emergency events, fund-raising, and making sure Freehold is aware of the outstanding work being done everyday by Freehold's very own volunteer citizens.

Mentor Program

After your interview and 'in processing' by the Trustees we need to 'walk with you' during this period when you are getting your CPR and First Aid, completing your background check, and becoming familiar with the Squad operations and chain of command. It would be impossible for you to know all the right questions to ask and to whom to ask them, and all of the people who can help may not be aware of your current status. Therefore it is essential that you be paired with a current member who will be both an advocate for you to the Officers, letting them know your status, and a communication conduit from the Officers to you, keeping you current of your requirements and responsibilities.

Mentors are particular members of our Squad who may not know everything, but they know where to find out, and they want you to have that same knowledge and initiative to eventually be able to track things down for yourself.

What makes our Mentor Program and complete 'program' is that you never cut loose from a mentor, though you may pass from one to another so your exposure to new ideas and perspectives keeps you growing and learning. Ultimately we hope you step into the role as a Journeyman under an Road Officer, Executive Officer, or Trustee; where your cumulative knowledge would be groomed toward a leadership and management role in the organization.

Crew and/or Schedule Assignment

Your Road Officers will learn your availability and you will come to an agreement on when you can assist either by responding to calls as the happen or joining a scheduled Duty Crew that consistently covers certain days and hours. Beginning as a Riding Observer and then as a new EMT, you will find yourself the 3rd on a crew. Crews with a 3rd are very efficient and everyone enjoys having the extra help and will do their best to keep you engaged in the action. You will see a great deal and learn tons, but there is still lots of time to ask questions and we encourage you to never stop doing that!

Development

When you join Emergency Medical Services you join a life-long learning journey. There are so many courses to take in the NJOEMSCERT catalog you will have to prioritize and it will take years to cover the classes you want. Additionally the Squad keeps you abreast of when certain mandatory courses are offered and we often host them at our own Squad to ensure you have easy access to completing these important courses. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are often one or two hours in length, but might last all day for an eight-hour CEU credit. Through CEU classes and drills organized by the Officers, we aim to keep you current and ready for any emergency.

Growth Opportunities

In a short time you will see that Freehold EMS has many areas where you can go above and beyond with your help. First Aid calls will be part of your role but so will a committee or apprenticeship where you learn more about the mechanical aspects of ambulances, the finances of a non-profit business, or the management of a diverse crew. The more you hang out with your team, the more pride you will feel and you will find uncountable ways to help out beyond just calls. However answering First Aid calls will always be our central priority; with all things to ensure we can perform that role being a close and tied second place.

Though this covers a bit of the story, we are sure you still have other questions and invite you to come by on Thursday nights after 7 PM, or use our Contact Form to reach out with your question.

Ready to join?

Complete our Online Application Form and get started today!