DIVERTED TO AN OFF-LINE STATION FOLLOWING AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION; MD88 FLT AND CABIN CREWS FIND LITTLE ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO HANDLE NEEDS OF PAX.

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FL340 MASTER CAUTION AND L OIL STRAINER CLOGGING ANNUNCIATOR. LATER FOUND TO BE PRESSURE SWITCH. I WAS THE PF. CAPT READ THE QRH PROC. REDUCED PWR ON THE AFFECTED ENG WITH NO CHANGE IN THE ANNUNCIATOR. KEPT PWR REDUCED AND ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A LOWER ALT FOR SAFE OP IN THE CURRENT CONFIGN. AFTER TALKING TO DISPATCH; WE DECIDED ON ZZZ AS THE 'MOST SUITABLE' ARPT. WHILE CAPT WAS COMMUNICATING WITH OUR COMPANY; I RECEIVED VECTOR AND DSCNT CLRNC FROM CTR. WE ELECTED TO KEEP THE AFFECTED ENG RUNNING AT IDLE PWR DUE TO THE NORMAL INDICATIONS OF OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP (AND IN REF TO THE QRH). IN THE VECTORING PROCESS; ATC ADVISED ME THAT THEY WERE DECLARING AN EMER FOR US. I ADVISED THE CAPT; AND HE SAID WE WERE ABOUT TO DO IT OURSELVES. I CONTINUED THE DSCNT AND APCH WITH ALL REQUIRED CHKLISTS COMPLETED UNTIL ABOUT 6000 FT WHEN THE CAPT ELECTED TO FLY THE FINAL APCH. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AT FLAPS 28 DEGS. THE EMER CREWS WERE STANDING BY; BUT NOTICED NO ENG DAMAGE. AS THE CREW; WE HAD AN INITIAL DISCUSSION ABOUT ZZZ2 AND THEN ZZZ AS THE ARPT OF CHOICE. RWY AT ZZZ2 WAS ONLY 7400 FT; AND DISPATCH WAS FAIRLY INSISTENT ON ZZZ. I HAD THIS EXACT SCENARIO 5-6 MONTHS AGO; AND ZZZ2 WORKED VERY WELL. ZZZ WAS FINE AS FAR AS RWYS; APCHS AND EMER EQUIP; BUT THE PROCESS OF PARKING AND DEPLANING/HANDLING THE CUSTOMERS WAS A DISASTER; AND A COMPLETE EMBARRASSMENT. IF THIS HAD BEEN A MEDICAL EMER OR SOME OTHER SITUATION REQUIRING EXPEDITIOUS DEPLANING; WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. OUR AGREEMENT FOR GND HANDLING AT ZZZ (AND I KNOW AT OTHER ALTERNATES) IS WITH THE LCL FBO. THEY WERE NICE; HARD WORKING GUYS; BUT HAD LITTLE OR NO PWR TO OBTAIN THE ARPT HELP THAT WAS NEEDED. ANOTHER ACR REFUSED TO LET US HAVE A GATE; AND WHEN WE FINALLY GOT ONE; REFUSED TO OPERATE THE JETBRIDGE. IT TOOK OVER 1 HR TO GET THE PAX OFF. THEN; I AND 2 OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS SPENT ABOUT 3.5 HRS AS CUSTOMER SVC AGENTS BECAUSE WE HAD NO OTHER AIRLINE EMPLOYEES AVAILABLE. THE CAPT RIGHTFULLY STAYED ON THE ACFT TO TAKE CARE OF THE MAINT ISSUES. WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR ALTERNATE PROCS ESPECIALLY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HAVING A LEGITIMATE GND HANDLER THAT'S PRACTICAL AND NOT JUST THERE TO SATISFY A PAPER REQUIREMENT.