It was 1995 when the five volunteer first aid squads in Old Bridge Township found the number of EMT volunteers trending downward. The scarcity of daytime volunteers began compromising the ability for residents to receive timely and lifesaving emergency care. It was a trend that wouldn’t see a reversal, perhaps ever. It was apparent that more and more parents needed to be working to support their families leaving a gaping hole in the volunteer sector. The squad leadership set out to find a solution.

The first aid volunteer squad Presidents met to collaborate on ways they could solve this problem for the community they were committed to serve. Born from that collaboration the Old Bridge Township Emergency Medical Services, OBTEMS, a nonprofit was created and a board of directors consisting of squad Presidents. A joint venture was then formed between the new entity OBTEMS and the local medical transportation company to provide 911 emergency medical response daytime coverage. Our residents could rest easy.

Over time various scenarios helped to manage the ems service in town until 2015 when OBTEMS was better positioned to return to managing the daily operation. Today, our residents don’t wait for emergency services to arrive to care for their loved ones. Our employees are skilled, professional, and caring individuals who remain committed to our community and to the residents of Old Bridge.