State slashes funding for first aid training

ROOSEVELT — The Borough Council will write a letter to the state protesting a new policy that denies continuing education reimbursement to emergency responders.

The council made the decision at the March 8 meeting after receiving information about the lack of funding at the state level for first aid squad members.

A March 1 letter from David Gruber, senior assistant commis- sioner at the N.J. Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS), states that the Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund (EMTTF) was established in 1992 to reimburse Emergency Medical Services volunteer ambulance, fire aid and rescue personnel for costs associated with training and testing for those seeking certification and recertification as emergency medical technicians. The EMTTF legislation is explicit that the fund must pay for all EMT basic education, and may be used for the continuing education of recertifying EMTs.

The EMTTF carried a surplus since its inception, and in fiscal year 2009 the surplus amounted to $4 million, according to the letter.

“In December 2009, the state treasurer transferred $4 million from the EMTTF to the state’s general fund to help offset the state’s budget shortfall,” the letter states. “This now places the DHSS in a position where, under current conditions, we are unable to support EMTTF requests at a level equal to the past for this fiscal year and future years.”

As of April 1, the EMTTF will no longer reimburse elective continuing education programs with three exceptions — the Gold Cross subscription initiative, the N.J. State First Aid Council Annual Convention in October, and the Statewide Conference on EMS in November.

The letter notes that the changes may affect organizations providing elective continuing education credits, and that DHSS will monitor expenditures and advise communities when they can provide reimbursement for continuing education courses and when they can return to their desired threeyear certification cycle.

John Rindt, a member of the first aid squad, said there are 15 EMTs on the squad, and they would each have to pay $240 for required continuing education.

“We’re lucky we do a lot in-house,” he said, noting that a recent course on using EpiPens would have cost $500 to train the squad.

Another squad member, Melissa Branco, said that while the 24-credit core class will still be reimbursed, 48 credits are needed for recertification.

“It’s like being penalized for volunteering,” she said.

Councilman Daniel Hoffman said it sounded like the state would pay to get volunteers trained, but not to keep them trained.

Rindt said that, due to the policy change, there might not be a first aid squad in five years.

“It’s not just us,” he said. “It affects the whole state.”