First Aid Council President Celebrates Veto of EMS Bill

New Jersey State First Aid Council president and Summit resident Howard Meyer was one of several dozen Emergency Medical Service volunteers recently invited to a breakfast with Gov. Chris Christie at Drumthwacket, the official residence of the governor of New Jersey.

The breakfast was also cause for celebration.

The event followed Christie's veto of Bill S1650/A2463, which would have put all of the state's EMS personnel under the control of the New Jersey Department of Health and would have developed a single professional standard.

The bill was opposed by the First Aid Council on the grounds that it was not only harmful to the state's volunteers, but that it would have also negatively impacted residents by forcing the overhaul of a system the group claims isn't broken.

The council called on the governor to veto the bill, which he did in May. 

In his absolute veto, Christie said the State Legislature failed to consider how the proposed changes would impact volunteerism, local budgets, and the prospect of shared services, among other issues.

"The strength of our EMS system has served New Jersey well for many years," Christie wrote. "First responders, including our emergency medical services personnel, continue to fulfill their duties with heroism and valor. This outstanding effort was no more on display than during Super Storm Sandy and its aftermath.  While I agree that we should always continue to evaluate our EMS delivery system in order to consider ways to improve service and accountability, any proposed changes to our EMS system should be carefully considered and responsibly implemented."