BRICK – A milestone of two decades was recently celebrated by Brick’s own EMS.
The tradition of life saving dates back farther than 20 years, but this year marks a special anniversary. On May 18, 2006, six full-time paramedics answered their first call as paid EMS members. Now, with 36 full-time and 31 part-time members, and multiple seasonal part timers, Brick EMS/Rescue stands ready to serve all the town’s emergency medical needs.
It may not seem like a lot, but transitioning from volunteer to paid members is huge. It signifies the town’s needs have expanded, especially with the summer bringing more seasonal visitors to the shore area. With more people enjoying outdoor activities, Brick EMS/Rescue can handle the influx of calls during the warmer months.
A lot has changed in the past 20 years. Even more so since the establishment of EMS services alongside the police department in the early 1970s.
The demand for a full time EMS is one of necessity and pride for any town. With Brick’s latest estimated population around 78,000, according to the World Population Review, the need for a full-time life-saving agency is crucial. With the total number of calls topping over 11,000 calls per year, a need for a full time EMS squad was overdue.
Jim Riccio, Director of Brick Township EMS, said the need for full-time EMS was inevitable. “Back in ’06 we started to realize that the volunteers, although they were doing a very good job, the call volume steadily increased, and continues to do so,” he said. “It became overwhelming for them; to be able to staff crews 24/7. We were concerned about the response time and availability. We started our EMS program to supplement the volunteer squad.”
Riccio, who has been EMS director for 3 years and former police officer and chief of 36 years, stated that the volunteer squads still run, in addition to the current full-time squads. “It really came to a head in 2015…the volunteer squads closed and relied on the paid crews to do all the calls.”
He spoke about some of the upgrades a full-time department needs to stay impactful. “Over the years we’ve obviously grown our numbers quite a bit,” he said. “Our equipment has grown quite a bit. Our locations that we respond out of: originally it was just one location, which was over in Civic Plaza on Chambersbridge Road. Now were responding out of three locations full-time and a fourth location on the beach in the summer.”
Riccio made mention of an issue with one of the stations not having indoor parking, which complicates things when snow covers the ambulances. “We’re in the process of opening a brand-new building behind headquarters so we’ll be responding out of there,” he said.
Brick EMS undergoes special training yearly, to handle any type of situation. Brick EMS participates in the Brick Township CERT, which stands for Community Emergency Response Team. According to their Facebook page, Brick CERT “volunteers provide critical assistance in case of an emergency and during community events.”
Riccio said that Brick EMS also has tactical medics who respond with the SWAT team, in case they need medical assistance on call. They are trained with the police and are specially equipped for emergency situations.
He also mentioned a recent project the Brick EMS took part in. Several members of the squad went to the FIFA World Cup event at MetLife Stadium, to assist with the New Jersey EMS Task Force. They were in attendance in case of a mass casualty event at the game, further indicating the need for EMS units in case of severe emergencies.
“We have a very well equipped, well-educated, well-trained staff 24/7,” said Riccio. “We’re capable of handling anything that comes our way.”
Timothy Cranmer, Deputy Chief of Brick EMS/Rescue, recently spoke about what it means to celebrate 20 years. “Theres so many aspects to it,” he said. “We cover a lot of things here, too. The variety of types of calls, people we interact with…over my career I’ve impacted the lives of thousands of people. Pretty much everyone here can say the same thing.”
Cranmer, whose been with the program since day one in May 2006, said working at the EMS is something he’ll never forget. “It’s quite an experience. You get to see another side of your hometown when you work in it every single day; good and bad. We’ve been there for the beginnings of life, where we deliver babies in the field…and obviously we’ve there at the end of life, too.”
He said the township provided their EMTs with a special gift to celebrate the 20 years milestone. “The township did gift the EMTs with 12-hour bags, which is a backpack so they can carry all their duty stuff with them,” said Cranmer. “We also gave them a 20-year challenge coin.”
Working as an EMT is a job not a typical job. You need to be able to respond to a multitude of emergency situations, usually within seconds. Cranmer took time to expand on this, to let the town know they’re there to help. “We put this on our challenge coin: ‘Act without expectation’ and it really embodies everything about the people that work here and really, in any EMS organization out there.”
“We are often the lowest paid of the different disciplines and sometimes overlooked. They still come here every single day, do everything they can for their community, often times putting themselves in dangerous situations, lives on the line, seeing things that most people would not want to see. Then come back for more the next day,” he said.
Times change, and so does the needs of an ever-growing town. Years ago, when the New Jersey State Police handled calls, there was less need for a full-time EMS. Now, there is.
Gene Donatiello, Brick’s unofficial town historian and founding President of the Brick Historical Society, recently told The Brick Times about how he remembers EMS from years ago. “The EMS was down Herbertsville Road at that time,” said Donatiello. “I go back to a time when the State Police patrolled our streets (1950s). You had to call them to arrange for ambulances, at that time.”
Donatiello, who taught history in Brick schools for 39 years, said the major milestone for him was the opening of a hospital in town. “The EMS didn’t have to go up to Point Pleasant, they didn’t have to go to other communities. That made a big difference.”
From its early beginnings to the now state-of-the-art facilities and training, Brick EMS has adapted to the times and brought help to those who need it throughout the years.
Brick’s EMS received another recognition this year, in addition to their 20th anniversary. On May 27, 2026, the township proclaimed this date as “Brick EMS/Rescue Day” with Mayor Lisa Crate distributing the proclamation to the EMS at a council meeting. A well-deserved recognition for an organization that rarely gets the recognition it deserves.
The post Brick EMS Celebrates 20 Years Of Full-Time Service appeared first on Jersey Shore Online.
