A. No, EMT certification is required by the State of NJ to operate an ambulance and to administer patient care.

A. In order to join you must take the EMT program first. This is a 3 month commitment. We understand the EMT course involves studying and taking quizzes and exams, which is why we want our applicants to only focus on passing the class in order to sit for the NJ state EMT exam. Once the state certifies you as a NJ EMT then you will be brought on as a member of the Wayne First Aid Squad.

Q. Do you have first responders?

A. No, we are all state certified EMTs

Q. Can I volunteer just when I am available or when my schedule permits?

A. Due to our call volume, the squad offers day or night scheduling. Day members are required to ride 6 hours a week (7-1pm or 1pm- 7pm), Night members are required to ride 12 hours every other week (7pm - 7am).

Q. Does the day of the week I volunteer have to be the same day each week?

A. Yes, each member is assigned a certain duty slot with a crew that is the same day/night each week.

Q. Where can you take the EMT Course?

A. Courses are available in our area at Chilton Memorial Hospital, Passaic County Public safety academy and Bergen County EMS academy. EMT schedules and start dates are available on on the following PDF document and websites:
Passaic County Public Safety Fall 2010 EMT Flyer
Bergen County Fall 2010 EMT Flyer
Chilton Memorial Hospital
Bergen County EMS Academy

Q. How long is the EMT Course and are there any out of pocket costs involved?

A. Average course time is approximately 3-4 months with attending evening classes (2-3 nights a week) and some weekends. There are no out of pocket cost once your membership application is reviewed/approved and an in-person interview has been conducted. Once fully approved you will be instructed on how to register for the EMT course free of charge.

Q. How old do you have to be to join?

A. To join our cadet program you must be 16 years of age. Our probationary members are 18 and older with a valid US drivers license.

Q. Do you require a physical or police check?

A. Yes, both a physical and police back ground checks are mandatory.

Q. What do Cadets Members do?

A. Cadets are members of the squad that are 16 or 17 years old. Before becoming a cadet member, you must complete and pass the NJ EMT Program and State Exam. Once a Cadet reaches their 18th birthday, they will automatically be transferred to the Probationary Class. Cadet members will not be allowed to ride the ambulance after 11:00 P.M. on days that precedes a school day or while school is in session. All Cadet members will be under the supervision of an Active Member of the squad at all times. Cadet members are not permitted to drive any squad vehicle.

Q. If I am 16 or 17 years old, do I need permission from my parents / legal guardian?

A. Yes, and we will contact your parents or legal guardian for verification.

Q. How soon will someone call me if I fill out an application or leave a message on the membership phone line?

A. Both phone messages and website applications are reviewed in the order they are received. Once an application is reviewed and deemed suitable you will be contacted for an interview.

Q. Is there a paid position within the first aid squad?

A. No, we are all volunteers here to help the community at will.

Q. Do you accept volunteers during summer (about 3 months) for college student?

A. Unfortunately, due to our heavy call volume, extensive training program and EMT requirements we can not accept short term members.

Q. Being a High School Student, are their different hours that are available to fit my High School schedule?

A. The age categories for a High School student are 16 to 18 which is a cadet member. At age 18 you become a regular member on probation. After a 1 year maximum probation, you are accepted into the squad as a regular full member. The schedule for any member is daytime or evening. Daytime is 7:00 AM until 1:00 PM or 1:00 PM until 7:00 PM, every week. Evening members are 7:00 PM until 7:00 AM, every other week. Any member in High School cannot pull duty passed 11:00 PM. School always comes first. Any member under the age of 18 must have full permission from their parents or legal guardian. Cadet hours are very flexible and we try to accommodate as much as we can.

Q. Are there any benefits in joining the squad, other then wanting to help out the community?

A. Yes. After the desire to help your fellow citizen we offer benefits, including paying for your EMT CEU (continuing education units) and certain training programs beyond your EMT such as HasMat Tech, Heavy Rescue Tech and Water Rescue to name a few. We also provide the following benefits:

Q. What if you were to fail the EMT class exam or the NJ State EMT Exam. Can you retake it again or do you have to repeat the 2-3 month course over?

A. The EMT class has 7 module exams, If a student fails any module twice they are out of the EMT class. Once you complete the EMT class and ready to sit for the state exam, student has one year to do the following: Three (3) tries at the state test then a core 13 refresher then three (3) more tries. If you still fail, you would have to retake the entire EMT class. But this is hardly the case, most people pass on 1st or 2nd try.

Q. I need an EMT class and I heard you offer to pay for classes at no cost. I want to take the class though your squad, but I'm not sure I want help out after my class is over. I just want it to be free.

A. That is unacceptable, you should join the squad to help out the people of Wayne Township and all who travel though. To prevent this we do ask our applicants who attend EMT class at our expense to sign a two year active service agreement with the squad. This is a legal document though our attorney to you. If you do not complete a minimum of two years of active service, we will ask you to repay the cost of your training generally around $600. Unfortunately, we have to do this since individuals in the past have used the squad for selfish personal gains.

Q. I'm currently a High School student and would like to join so I can put down the Wayne First Aid Squad on my college application. Would that be ok?

A. If you plan to join to help out the Wayne community and participate in squad activities throughout your college years there is no problem. However, if you are going away to college and can not participate in meetings/drills/events we ask you to wait until school is over or your schedule clears. Since we are investing time and money in your EMT training, we will ask you to sign a two year active service agreement with the squad. If you do not complete two years of active service, you will have to repay the cost of training, generally around $600.

Q. I have a question that is not listed above?

A. You can submit a question online, and we will contact you.