We Respond to all 911 Calls for Medical Emergencies in the Chathams, Caring for the Sick & Injured and Transporting to Area Hospitals
For over 85 years, CES has been there for Chatham free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
Benefits You and the Chatham Community
They have accepted the rigors of the job solely to put themselves in service to the community. Without any compensation, CES members are professionals who embrace and achieve the high standards of the Squad. They, and their families, willingly accept the sacrifices of their commitment. This translates to outstanding patient care.
Volunteer emergency medical services across the state are in serious decline as membership and funding become even more scarce. Some have closed. Many others in nearby towns have been forced to hire paid staff or rely on providers from outside the community.
No one with a medical emergency needs to hesitate to call for help because of the cost of CES’ services. Our volunteers are committed to providing their best service without consideration of a patient’s ability to pay or status of insurance. You will never receive a bill from the Chatham Emergency Squad.
CES is a proudly independent nonprofit corporation that is self-operated and self-governed. The Borough of Chatham and Chatham Township are faithful allies and provide all manner of support. The towns fund about 10% of annual operating expenses. The remaining 90% is funded through generous donations from the community.
Staffed with over 80 volunteer members, it is ready to respond from within the community 24/7. In 2020, CES crews responded to 1,179 calls. Off-duty members responded to 48 calls when on-duty members were already handling other calls. There is no other service model whether patient-paid, insurance-paid or government provided that can match this response.
Firefighters exerting themselves in hazardous conditions require on-scene rehabilitation and standby medical care and transport.
Community members are assisted in and out of their homes to vehicles or medical facilities on a planned and as available basis.
CES provides stand-by support for community events, such as the Fishawack Festival, the Chatham Turkey Trot, and CHS football games.
Chatham teachers, coaches, police officers, firefighters, DPW workers and other residents are taught life-saving resuscitation skills.
Our Mission
- To render emergency life support and ambulance transportation to Chatham Borough and Township residents and visitors in the event of accident or sudden illness.
- To render miscellaneous assistance to Chatham residents in such matters as moving helpless, sick, injured or elderly people to and from automobiles or upper floors of homes.
- To transport Chatham residents whose health requires non-emergency ambulance transportation to and from hospitals or nursing homes.
- To participate in emergency disaster work as required by Emergency Management authorities.
- To improve the preparedness of the Chatham community for medical emergencies.
- To assist neighboring communities when their ambulances are not available.