Monmouth County credits MedStar EMS for faster response times and sharp growth
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Summary
Commissioner Director Tom Arnone said Monmouth County’s county-operated MedStar EMS grew from 15 staff and three ambulances to about 150 personnel and 30 ambulances, serving 40 municipalities and improving response time to 5 minutes, 27 seconds; the county projects about 20,000 calls in 2026.
Commissioner Director Tom Arnone used the 2026 State of the County address to highlight rapid expansion of Monmouth County’s MedStar emergency medical services, describing the program as a cornerstone of the county’s public-safety strategy.
“MedStar began answering calls for service on 02/05/2024,” Arnone said, and the program has grown from an initial staff of about 15 and three ambulances to roughly 150 personnel and 30 ambulances serving some 40 municipalities. He said MedStar handled more than 10,000 calls with about 7,000 transports in 2025, and improved average response time to “5 minutes and 27 seconds.” Arnone told the audience the county projects MedStar will handle about 20,000 calls in 2026.
Arnone explained MedStar operates a “soft billing” model: the county bills insurance companies for transports, not patients. He said EMS insurance reimbursements totaled roughly $2,800,000 in 2025 and that additional claims-related revenues and rebates attributed to 2024 activity produced further funds the county expects to collect in 2026.
Arnone credited the sheriff’s office and county staff for the rollout and said the expansion reduces prolonged mutual-aid responses in municipalities that previously lacked sufficient daytime coverage. He emphasized that revenue from insurance reimbursements and related claims helps offset costs but reiterated the county’s commitment to ensuring services are not billed to residents directly.
The county’s investment in MedStar was framed as part of a broader public-safety modernization that also includes mental-health crisis partnerships (Arrive Together, Link to Care, Restart, Recovery Diversion) and enhancements at the Prosecutor’s Office, which Arnone said are intended to improve outcomes while containing municipal costs.
The address did not announce new MedStar policy changes or new fee structures beyond the billing model described; Arnone said the commissioners will continue funding priorities needed to sustain the service.