Editing Gloucester County, New Jersey (section)

==Emergency services==
Gloucester County is served by the Gloucester County Emergency Medical Services (GCEMS), the first county-based [[emergency management|EMS]] agency in New Jersey, which provides emergency services to the municipalities of [[Clayton, New Jersey|Clayton]], [[Deptford Township, New Jersey|Deptford Township]], [[East Greenwich Township, New Jersey|East Greenwich Township]], [[Elk Township, New Jersey|Elk Township]], [[Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey|Franklin Township]], [[Glassboro, New Jersey|Glassboro]], [[Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey|Greenwich Township]], [[Harrison Township, New Jersey|Harrison Township]], [[Logan Township, New Jersey|Logan Township]], [[Mantua Township, New Jersey|Mantua Township]], [[Monroe Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey|Monroe Township]], [[National Park, New Jersey|National Park]], [[Newfield, New Jersey|Newfield]], [[Paulsboro, New Jersey|Paulsboro]], [[Pitman, New Jersey|Pitman]], [[South Harrison Township, New Jersey|South Harrison Township]], [[Swedesboro, New Jersey|Swedesboro]], [[Wenonah, New Jersey|Wenonah]], [[West Deptford Township, New Jersey|West Deptford Township]], [[Westville, New Jersey|Westville]], [[Woolwich Township, New Jersey|Woolwich Township]], [[Woodbury, New Jersey|Woodbury]], and [[Woodbury Heights, New Jersey|Woodbury Heights]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140714204255/http://www.gloucestercountynj.gov/depts/e/emeresponse/glocountyems/faqs.asp Gloucester County EMS Frequently Asked Questions], Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed August 11, 2020. "Twenty Two municipalities currently have joined the GCEMS family: Clayton, East Greenwich, Glassboro, Greenwich, Logan, Mantua, National Park, Paulsboro, Pitman, Swedesboro, West Deptford, Woolwich, Harrison, South Harrison, Wenonah, Elk Woodbury Heights, Franklin Township, Newfield, Woodbury, Westville, and Deptford.  Additional County of Gloucester municipalities are welcome to request service from GCEMS."</ref>

GCEMS was launched in September 2007 with the goal of providing emergency medical services to county residents within nine minutes from the time of dispatch 90 percent of the time, which is considered to be the gold standard in EMS services. The program currently has 15 ambulances in service around the clock and four power shift ambulances on duty from 8am to 8pm seven days a week. GCEMS operates three Quick Response Vehicles (QRV) units that based in West Deptford Township, Newfield, and South Harrison Township. The department operates from  19 stations throughout the county. GCEMS administrative offices are located at the county's Emergency Response Center in [[Clayton, New Jersey|Clayton]].<ref>[http://www.co.gloucester.nj.us/Government/FreeholderPressRoom/pressdetail2.cfm?PressReleaseID=333 "Gloucester County Celebrates Emergency Medical Services Week"], Gloucester County press release, dated May 21, 2008. Accessed June 28, 2008.</ref> It was the winner of the 2010 Outstanding Public EMS Agency by the State of New Jersey.<ref>[http://www.njemsconference.com/images/10_EMS_Award_Recipients_FINAL.pdf "2010 EMS Award Recipients"], November 12, 2010, New Jersey Statewide Conference on EMS. Accessed October 4, 2013.</ref>

Gloucester County's [[SWAT|special weapons and tactics]] (SWAT) unit includes police officers from Gloucester County and provides  emergency services for SWAT-oriented scenarios, including barricaded and [[suicide|suicidal]] subjects, [[hostage]] rescues, high-risk warrant service, dignitary protection, and [[counterterrorism]] responses.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140629210931/http://www.gloucestercountynj.gov/depts/p/prosoffice/invunits/swat.asp Gloucester County SWAT Team], Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed June 30, 2015.</ref>

===Heroin overdoses===
In 2014, [[Opioid overdose|heroin overdose]] rate in Gloucester County was 17.3 deaths per 100,000 people, the fourth-highest rate in New Jersey and nearly seven times the national average.<ref>Polhamus, Andy. [http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2016/01/meet_the_town_leading_the_fight_against_gloucester.html "Inside the N.J. town with a heroin death-rate 25 times the national average"], [[NJ.com]], January 29, 2016. Accessed October 22, 2017. "In Gloucester County, the heroin death rate was 17.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014 -- nearly seven times the national average, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. Only Atlantic, Camden and Cape May counties had a higher death rate that year."</ref>