The delivery of emergency medical service in Lawrence Township dates back to 1946 when the Lawrence Township Volunteer Emergency First Aid Squad was organized. Volunteers manned the ambulances and responded to medical emergencies, traffic accidents and other disasters for 60 years. But the number of volunteers available to respond to emergencies dwindled over the years.
In response to the decline in the volunteers' ranks, in 2007 Lawrence Township entered into a contract with Capital Health System whereby hospital-based ambulances responded to medical emergencies in town. That agreement ended in 2009, at which time the township hired its own full-time staff and created Lawrence Township EMS to provide basic life-support (BLS) medical services within the township. All Lawrence Township EMS ambulance personnel are certified by the State of New Jersey to the emergency medical technician (EMT) level.
Under mutual aid agreements with neighboring municipalities, Lawrence Township EMS often responds to medical emergencies in other towns when ambulances in those towns are unavailable. Similarly, ambulances from other towns respond into Lawrence to handle calls for help that occur when the Lawrence crew is unavailable or committed to another emergency.