On March 11th, 2021 the members of Fenwick Community Ambulance were locked out of their ambulance building located at 205 Grant Street in Salem City, NJ after the city council voted to temporarily suspend operations of the ambulance squad citing the possibility of the organization not being able to service the city for 2 nights a week as agreed upon in a contract with American Legion Ambulance Association. in addition to additional emergency calls/second alarms/and alarms that require more than 1 ambulance responses such as fire calls and motor vehicle collisions.'

Recently American Legion has sent out a fund drive letter in which they were soliciting donations on top of the money they recieve from municipalities and billing for services rendered. There was recently a publication in the Elmer times in which they were asking for money for services from each of the townships and has offered threatened to cease servicing some towns that remained unnamed. What happens if they do this to Salem City. Who will be there to fill the seats for ambulance service? Also, if the city council is so easily willing to throw away the ambulance squad who has served the city for 70 years what happens when they wish to outsource the Police Department or Fire Department and tragedy strikes?

In the beginning of the year our organization restructured itself to help better serve the population that we serve and that of surrounding communities, and have made numerous attempts at meeting with the city council and the business administrator to no avail. In a city who is suffering financial hardship our service saves thousands of dollars to tax payers as we get minimal contributions from the city itself, do not bill residents of our city or neighboring towns through the use of mutual aid and rely on the donations in which we send out a letter drive and through the numerous coin drops we have held on Broadway in years past. 

In the most recent city council meeting it was recommended that the city cease all ties with Fenwick Community Ambulance with no attempts at any communications with the organization. Fenwick Community Ambulance has been serving the City of Salem and surrounding communities since our inception in September of 1951 making us the old Emergency Medical Service provider in the county of Salem. Our membership stands willing and able to provide services to our city residence at a moments notice.  

We are asking the city residents to band together and confront the township to save one of the most positive things that the city had to offer before it gets destroyed forever. All of this with no agendas for these meetings being posted to the website and with no minutes from any of the monthly council sessions that have been held this year. They are supposed to be posted at https://cityofsalemnj.gov/minutes-agendas/

If the township determines to sever ties with our organization it will give us no choice other than to disband our organization and no longer be able to serve the county and city in which we live and love. If anybody has any questions feel free to reach out to us via email at lineofficers@squad6.org. We need to hold our City Council accountable and ensure that they make the right decision. 

Thank you for your time - Members and Officers of Fenwick Community Ambulance