The Fight for Essential Service Status: Why EMS Needs Recognition in New Jersey

In an important push for recognition and support, the New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association (NJFMBA) is leading efforts to designate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as an essential service in the state. This designation would bring much-needed benefits and protections to EMS professionals who provide critical life-saving care daily.

Currently, New Jersey law only recognizes police, fire, and sanitation as essential services. This oversight means EMS departments often struggle with funding, staffing, and resources despite their crucial role in public safety. As FMBA EMS Committee Chair Steve Spurr noted at the March 2025 meeting, "This is common sense. EMS should be considered essential service."

The push for essential service status isn't new - a bill was initially floated in 2021, but the FMBA is now working with the League of Municipalities to develop more comprehensive legislation. This collaborative approach demonstrates the seriousness of the effort and increases the chances of success in Trenton.

What makes this effort unique is that the FMBA is the only labor union representing EMS personnel that has taken up this cause alongside municipal stakeholders. This partnership shows lawmakers that the issue transcends labor interests and represents a true public safety concern.

The essential service designation would provide numerous benefits:

• Improved funding mechanisms

• Better training opportunities

• Greater job security for EMS professionals

• Enhanced ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel

• More consistent service delivery across communities

President Ed Donnelly emphasized the organization's commitment, stating, "We are committed to our members and want to find a responsible way to do it." This initiative follows the successful effort two years ago to get 9-1-1 dispatchers recognized as essential personnel.

The FMBA is also advocating for EMS personnel in other ways, including opposing proposed regulations that would require EMTs and paramedics to undergo criminal background checks every three years at their own expense - a requirement not imposed on other medical professionals.

As this legislative effort moves forward, the FMBA continues to work with lawmakers to ensure that the essential service designation is properly structured under Title 40 of New Jersey law. The goal is legislation that provides meaningful support rather than merely symbolic recognition.

For New Jersey's EMTs and paramedics who respond to emergencies every day, this recognition is long overdue. The FMBA's effort represents a significant step toward ensuring these first responders receive the resources, support, and recognition their essential work deserves.