Town Topics
16 September 1981

FLAT FEES SUGGESTED

For Daytime Paramedic Use. A recommendation for putting the weekday paramedic service of the First Aid and Rescue Squad on a paid-by-the user basis will be presented to Township Committee this Wednesday by Borough Council members Richard Macgill and Barbara Hill.

Committee will meet as usual at 8 in the Meeting Room of the Valley Road Building, but this report has been scheduled for the work session following the regular meeting.

Mr. Macgill and Ms. Hill are expected to suggest that daytime calls answered by the paramedics be charged to the patient on a flat fee basis. Included in the proposal is the suggestion that billing for the service, which the Squad feels it cannot handle, be carried out by the Medical Center.

Paid daytime paramedic service, with the two municipalities footing the bill, was the unanimous recommendation two years ago of a joint ad hoc committee formed to help the volunteer Squad solve its difficulties in answering daytime emergency calls and other problems. The costs of the first year of the service were assumed by the two municipalities on a rateables basis, with the Township paying two-thirds and the Borough, one-third. This year, the Borough was able to contribute only $5,000 of its $12,000 share, and that amount will be used up at the end of the month.

Mayor Josie Hall reiterated her “absolute support” of the Squad through acting Mayor William Cherry at last week’s Township Committee meeting. However, Committeeman David Blair cautioned his fellow committee members: “The Borough is in the hot seat. It’s their problem and we shouldn’t get into this too deeply. This is an essential service, but we’ve done our part.”