Volunteers tell governing body to ‘grow up’
By Amy Batista, Special Writer
EAST WINDSOR — As temperatures got a little warmer outside and conditions turned from icy to rain, the atmosphere inside the Township Council chambers remained chilly.
“Let’s be real. The patient taxpayers and volunteers are getting hurt in this situation,” said East Windsor Rescue Dist. II Deputy Chief Michael Foley, who provided a statement on behalf of the squad but is a resident of West Windsor. “Take the volunteers out of the equation for a moment and let’s think what does your life mean to you. How much is your life or your loved ones worth?”
The township closed down “East Windsor Rescue Squad, District 2”, as currently constituted and operating (under Jonathan Wassef, Amanda Brooks and West Windsor residents Michael Foley and Brian Foley) earlier this year.
The squad is expressly not authorized to be involved in the delivery of EMS services in the township in any manner, directly or indirectly, according to officials.
Township ambulances and vehicles were relocated next door to the Volunteer Fire Company No. 2 building, and other rescue squad volunteers have been handling township EMS calls since early December.
“We do our service for free,” Mr. Foley said. “We volunteer because we know what it takes and how it can affect a patient’s family and loved one when seconds and minutes count when you experience a medical emergency. Every patient, person, resident deserves a quick first response when they dial 911.”
He said that currently the mayor and council make claims that there are other volunteers providing services from within this district.
“We know that’s not true,” he said. “The ambulances were once at fire company number two but have been relocated to rescue squad one, (where) they sit outside in the inclement weather snow and sleet covered. Rescue one might be your temporary fix, but there is no way that it is permanent fix. We all know that sitting here today.”
He said that council members do not know the logistics of how a rescue squad operates and how the rescue squads have operated for years.
“For that reason are you truly supporting (claims) that the mayor’s office has made,” he said. “We all come from different walks of life and when we walk into your life we help you when you need it the most.”
He said how far are our politicians going to go to shut them down.
“Who knows what their agenda is,” he said. “At the end of the day, you will put a price tag of $36,487.57 on every single resident, visitor and child and senior citizen in East Windsor Township. Frankly, grow up. See that your actions are not going to help and you’ve made your point. We get it but grow up enough is enough.”
That was the amount the squad spent to buy a truck that officials say was an improper purchase.
He said that every action the rescue squad makes is thought out through a deliberated process governed by their constitution and their by-laws just like every other organization in the township.
“Our membership makes decisions based on the intention of how can we better serve our community,” he said. “Making your residents pay for your backdoor defensive actions in a defense of trying to protect taxpayer dollars is ridiculous.”
He said the residents pay for their salaries.
“What happens when a resident dies or multiple residents die because they are waiting for an ambulance or for an ambulance that doesn’t show up because you have decided because you have decided to rely on the neighboring town for providing mutual aid services,” he said.
Mayor, let’s be real, he said.
“Shutting down Rescue two doesn’t help the residents,” Chief Jonathan Wassef said.
He said that a call went off Sunday for a cardiac arrest and no member of East Windsor EMS responded.
“I don’t know if the council is aware of the logistics of the rescue squad,” he said. “We have first responder vehicles that are fully staffed and an ambulance which we switch back and forth between us and Dist. 1. Dist. 1 cannot provide the coverage that we provide nor can I say that we can provide the coverage without Dist. 1. We work hand in hand and as such you obliterated half of the EMS department within in East Windsor and then expect to have the same coverage which regardless of how you try to spin the math is impossible.”
He said the ambulance was on a call and at a hospital, and told the dispatcher to request for mutual aid.
“As an expert in my field I am stating that this isn’t okay,” he said.
Mr. Foley said you abused your authority to shut down the rescue squad for what.
“First it was for the legal purpose of the Chevy Tahoe which was purchased as a command unit that chief officers can utilize as a first responder and a supervisor just as the township volunteer fire chiefs,” he said. “Next, it was poor leadership and bad decisions ah but that’s not next. Then you took our Tahoe and locked it up keeping our property from us.”
He said that today he’s not sure what the reason really is.
“It has changed,” he said.
Mr. Wassef tried to clear up the miscommunication on the Tahoe.
“I’d like to make it known that purchase of the Tahoe wasn’t done in an illegal matter,” Mr. Wassef said.
“Why do we feel the need to be abrasive with each other and not have common dialogue. Why was I approached in a meeting and lack of a better word was ambushed. I was asked to come and speak about how I purchased the Tahoe to which I initially walked in and my resignation was asked for.”
How is that acceptable and, how is that caring?, he said.
“To this day I feel betrayed,” he said. “How does the person who works and is a student, provides countless hours to the township, saved over 10 lives, top responder in the township, and then my resignation is asked for because a disgruntled member approached the council and mayor and township manager from my understanding.”
Mr. Foley said that, back in November, that countless and lengthy meetings were held between township officials and rescue squad officers.
“The main purpose of those meetings were to come to a resolution,” he said. “Then you threw the ‘Hail Mary’ despite our meeting your terms and letting you see our Tahoe and parking it in this parking lot right outside this building walls but that was for one purpose and one purpose only that was so negotiations could continue while the Tahoe was parked outside.”
He said that the rescue squad’s actions were solely based on the council’s actions to protect the rights as volunteers that they could protect their resident’s.
“Multiple, countless attempts have been made to make amends in early November,” he said. “Recently, a judge basically said come to a settlement and postponed a hearing for such purposes.”
He said they got nowhere or maybe the message was misunderstood to them.
“If you don’t want to make amends and settle this, then fine, but let it be known that we are trying to make amends because the rescue squad believes that it has done it has done nothing wrong or illegal,” he said. “It is a misunderstanding in your minds.”
Township Attorney David Orron said in an email on Thursday that there was a hearing before Judge Innes on Feb. 26 to consider the squad’s request for interim relief, including immediate access to accounts at PNC Bank; the return of the Chevy Tahoe SUV; the return of equipment repossessed by the Township; and reinstatement of the squad as a Township EMS provider.
“All requests for interim relief were denied, and the case remains pending,” said Mr. Orron. “Judges typically encourage parties to try to settle, but we cannot comment on the status of any discussions.”
He said that meanwhile, nothing has changed, and the township continues to provide high quality township-wide EMS coverage.
“Most of what Mr. Foley and Mr. Wassef said at last night’s council meeting was misleading or simply false,” he said. “During their statements to the Township Council at Tuesday’s meeting, Mr. Foley and Mr. Wassef both reiterated their belief that they and their fellow squad leaders had done nothing wrong.”
He said they should ask themselves a question if the squad and the township have worked cooperatively and successfully for the past 40 years, including the past 20 years under the current township government, and if the first dispute between the squad and the township occurred three months after the current leadership took office, maybe they are the problem.
“Until they accept that truth and personal responsibility, it is difficult to see a resolution with these particular individuals,” he said. “The township opened the door to a resolution of this matter at the outset in November with the letter of conditions presented to them. However instead the squad leadership refused all township requests and provided no records. Instead, they resorted to total secrecy and hired an attorney to file a lawsuit against East Windsor, which has accomplished nothing but squander squad funds provided by township taxpayers and residents to support EMS services.”
Mr. Foley said that change is hard to accept.
“There was never any mention of any operational concern regarding how we operate and serve the town,” he said. “Help us help you. Allow Rescue Two to provide ambulance services during this time.”
He said that his hope is that they paid attention to his dialogue.
“We expect that you will not ignore us and can address it to your staff but honestly you’re the individual who pulls the strings so we are asking you to reach into the bottom of your heart and find a place where we can settle and not waste the judicial systems time unnecessarily for that Mr. (James) Brady I hope the mayor will have open dialogue with us and have meeting so you can get back and do stuff that is relevant and important to the residents of this community,” he said. “Mr. Orron please guide your client in an way that ends that waste taxpayers dollars for this situation.
In closing, he stated that he hoped everyone got homely safely on the icy roads but if they found themselves in an icy situation they would not be there to help.
“For that, I hope all of you drive home safely tonight as Rescue two still stands unfortunately not able to render assistance to you if you get into an icy situation,” he said.
“Last meeting I had asked for a list of reasons why (Squad) 146 was not able to respond,” said John Brooks. “I have not yet received anything. I’m not even willing to take a list if someone is willing to sit and talk with me I can leave my number with somebody and we can sit down and talk about it.”
He said he would like to know the reasons.
According to the sign posted outside by the rescue squad Mr. Brooks is the Assistant Chief.