No – We do not charge for our services and we never have, since our inception in 1952. Your taxes do not support us either. We rely strictly on donations to fund our operations!

You are correct; SORS does not charge for our services. However, there is a charge for hospital-based paramedics. Additionally, during times when our volunteers are not available, a paid ambulance service who does charge for service may come to assist.

Yes, all members of SORS are unpaid volunteers. No one receives compensation for any of their EMS or administrative work for SORS.

All Crew Chiefs and most of our members providing direct patient care are certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). At present, the curriculum for the EMT program is approximately 225 hours. EMTs are also required to recertify every three (3) years. Crews are additionally comprised of 3rd (and 4th) members who are in EMT school and/or high school cadets. All members are certified in CPR, which includes the use of an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator).

What you probably saw was a SORS ambulance and Paramedic Unit. In New Jersey, paramedics, who are hospital-based, sometimes use large SUVs or ambulances. Sometimes referred to as MICU (Mobile Intensive Care Units), these vehicles and the paramedics who operate them are an extension of the hospital’s emergency room.

This was probably because the Paramedics were not needed. Each patient’s need is different. It’s very likely the patient’s need did not require that type of medical attention. It is also possible that the ambulance crew could have been on their way to rendezvous with paramedics, enroute to the hospital.

There are very specific protocols that spell out the need for paramedics. When someone calls 911, the dispatcher can quickly determine the need for paramedics, based upon the nature of the injury/illness/event. Additionally, the ambulance crew can also request paramedics, should the crew determine there is a need or the episode worsens. Our EMTs train extensively in this area.

Our primary hospitals are Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, East Orange Veteran’s Affairs Hospital, Carewell Medical Center in East Orange (formerly known as the East Orange General Hospital), Overlook Medical Center in Summit, University Hospital and Newark Beth Israel in Newark.

There are lots of activities in addition to answering ambulance calls. The members of SORS are members of your community. Look for us at Columbia High School Football games, July 4th events, Play Day, Seton Hall events, Maplewoodstock, 5K races, National Night Out, and more!

Elderly or not, everyone should have written down on a piece of paper your own health information, such as your medical history (conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, etc.). Include the names of any and all medications you take and any allergies you might have. Emergency contact numbers are helpful too.

We are always looking for members to join our ranks. Our senior membership (aged 18 and over) is expected to obtain EMT certification within the first six months of joining, and the time commitment is approximately 12 hours a week plus one weekend shift a month (see Member Expectations page for further details). Our cadet program for high school students has a time commitment of approximately one 4 hour shift per week, plus one evening class per week. In addition to the duty requirement, for all members, there are meetings to attend, training drills, and care and maintenance of our building and vehicles.

We are looking for people with certain skills to assist, such as mechanics, accountants, attorneys, and more. If you think you might have skills that can help us, give us a call!