The Toms River Township council has approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Dan Rodrick to allow the township to enter into a shared services agreement with several neighboring municipalities and provide them with EMS services.

Per the text of the resolution, Toms River would provide the Barrier Island towns, including the Borough of Lavallette, the Borough of Seaside Heights, the Borough of Seaside Park and Berkeley Township.

According to Mayor Rodrick, by entering into such an agreement, the township would then be eligible for a state grant through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which encourages municipalities to pursue such arrangements.

Obtaining the grant would make more funds available for the township’s EMS program, thereby directly benefiting township residents.

Toms River was recently awarded a $171,000 grant for its shared service agreement with Island Heights to assist with their waste collection.

EMS coverage on the barrier islands has long been an issue for those communities, as their local squads have been steadily depleted, leading to coverage issues.