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1. What is your contact information?

• In an emergency, call 911.
• For EMS (emergency medical services) matters, mail may be sent to:
  Paramus Emergency Medical Services
  Borough of Paramus
  1 Jockish Square West
  Paramus, NJ 07652-2771
• Mail sent to this address will be received by our Command Staff (EMS officers)
• Voice mail may be left at 201-262-3400, ext. 5200

2. How do I obtain a call report?

Before May 1995

If the incident for which you are requesting a Call Report occurred before May 1995, please send a subpoena requesting the report to:

Board of Directors
Paramus Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc.
295 E Midland Avenue
Paramus, NJ 07652-5594

After April 1995

If the incident for which you are requesting a Call Report occurred after April 1995, please send a subpoena requesting the report to:

Borough Clerk
Borough of Paramus
1 Jockish Square West
Paramus, NJ 07652-2771

Effective July 7, 2002, the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA) took effect. Please contact the Borough of Paramus to determine if the records you need are available under OPRA.

3. What happens when I call 911?

When you call 911, your call is routed to a Public Safety Answering Point where a trained dispatcher will ask you a series of questions to determine what assistance you need. Depending on your answers, the dispatcher may send police, fire, ambulance, rescue, paramedics, hazmat, a helicopter or some combination of them.

• Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you it is okay to do so.
• If the dispatcher gives you instructions, follow them carefully.
• For a medical emergency or injury, police and an ambulance will be dispatched. The ambulance will be staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians who can provide basic life support (BLS). If your emergency is serious, paramedics from a local hospital may also be sent to provide advanced life support (ALS).
• If you have pets, put them in another room for the safety of the emergency responders and to assure that the patient or victim does not experience a delay in treatment.
• If possible, send someone to guide the emergency responders to the exact site of the emergency. Up to 3 different agencies (police, ambulance, paramedics) may respond and they may not arrive at the same time, so you may need to send someone to guide the emergency responders 3 separate times.
• You will be transported to the nearest appropriate hospital. In most cases, that means you will be transported to the local hospital of your choice. For serious trauma, you may be transported to a trauma center, even if it means passing a closer hospital. This is to assure that you receive the level of treatment that is appropriate for your situation. If the hospital of your choice is on "bypass" (the Emergency Room is full and you may face a lengthy wait) or "divert" (the entire hospital is full and you may face a lengthy wait), you will be informed so you can decide if it might be better to go to a different hospital.

4. How can I make it easier for you to help me?

You should download and complete our Emergency Medical Information Form (PDF). This form lists the questions we will ask you on nearly every call. Please try to have the form available for us. You will also find this form useful for a doctor's visit or a hospital visit, because they will generally ask you the same questions. 

In addition, please try to have your medical insurance information handy. We will generally ask you for the name of your insurance company, the address, and the policy number. We will also ask for your telephone number, your Social Security number, and your Medicare or Medicaid number. For motor vehicle accidents we also will ask for your motor vehicle insurance information.

5. Who do I contact about employment opportunities?

Contact Milton N Kohlmann, Chief, Paramus Emergency Medical Service.

6. Who do I contact about billing questions?

Please contact Sandi Gunderson, Deputy EMS Coordinator, with any billing questions. 

7. Do you have home health care medical equipment for loan?

Please contact the Paramus Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc., a separate organization, at 201-262-1109 for assistance.

8. What should I do to assure that I obtain the best EMS service possible?

• When you call 911 give a very clear description of where you are so we can locate you quickly.
• Secure your pets to assure the safety of all the first responders and to enable us to reach you as quickly as possible.
• Have a completed Emergency Medical Information Form (PDF).

9. Do you bill for services?

• For a Paramus resident: we bill your insurance company, but do not send a bill for the balance that was not covered by your insurance.
• For nonresidents: we bill your insurance company and also send a bill for the balance not covered by insurance.

10. How do I arrange for an ambulance to take me home from the hospital? Do you have any home health care loan equipment that I may borrow?

Paramus EMS does not provide these services, but we can refer you to the Paramus Volunteer Ambulance Corps for further assistance, or you can call them directly at 201-262-1109 or 201-649-0761. Many of our employees are members of the Paramus Volunteer Ambulance Corps.