Every day technology disrupts and improves the status quo. From Uber to Airbnb our services are changing, and changing for the better, with faster, more efficient, and higher-quality systems. While government at the local, state, or federal level is not usually regarded as an innovator, in Jersey City we are trying to change that.
Our goal is simple: to take one of the fastest ambulance services in the country (that already exists in Jersey City), at an average response time of sub 6 minutes, and cut the 6 minute response time in half to 3 minutes. I believe we will get this done in the next 12 months, paving the way for other cities around the country to replicate. How, you ask? The answer is better use of technology.
Last week in Jersey City, we introduced the first community-based emergency response program in the United States that links paid ambulances and EMS-certified citizen volunteers with a GPS mobile tracking app to reduce emergency response times for ambulance calls.
The way it works is that when a call comes into the city's 911 emergency system, the system simultaneously deploys an ambulance and GPS tracking via a mobile app that will route the nearest community EMS-certified volunteer to the location in need, who is usually in closer proximity to the call than any ambulance. Generally, the volunteer arrives first within 2.5 minutes cutting the response time in half until the ambulance arrives at the sub 6 minute mark. In the case of life and death calls, every second matters and those 3 minutes between getting help and not are often the difference.
For example, an office worker could be suffering from a heart attack - while someone who could save his life might be in a meeting, unaware of the emergency, a floor below. This lack of information exchange should no longer be the difference between life and death. The goal of the program is to ensure that there is always a cadre of trained and equipped volunteers who can be instantly located via the mobile app and dispatched from the 911 system to any scene in the city immediately.
The program, designed by United Hatzalah, is working very successfully in Israel, and in Jersey City we are partnering with Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health and United Rescue to launch the program.
When we opened the application period to get certified volunteers we truthfully didn't know how many would sign up. The requirement was that a volunteer takes a 60-hour training class, and upon completion would be provided basic equipment. Whenever they were available to serve as a volunteer for the United Rescue program, they would activate the mobile app on their phone to let the system know that they are willing to engage if needed.
So far, the program and city's volunteers have been nothing short of remarkable. The program launched this week with 350 volunteers - far exceeding expectations. The best part is that volunteers come from all neighborhoods of the city and all walks of life, including doctors, business professionals, students, teachers and retirees.
Bringing a community together to help fellow citizens is one of the most gratifying moments for a mayor.
Jersey City's United Rescue program - which is funded exclusively through private charitable donations - is expected to be a model for other cities across the country. In addition to Israel, the model has been successfully deployed in Argentina, Brazil, Panama and Lithuania, and Jersey City will be the first city in the United States to deploy the program.
United Hatzalah saves, on average, over 100 lives a day in Israel, according to Mark Gerson, a NYC-based entrepreneur and philanthropic leader of United Hatzalah and United Rescue. Given the strong community involvement we have already seen in Jersey City it is my hope that soon in cities across the United States we will be achieving similar life support success here as well.
Steven Fulop is Mayor of Jersey City, NJ.