South River enters into one-year agreement with Robert Wood Johnson for EMS services

SOUTH RIVER–More than one year ago, the Borough of South River filed a lawsuit against the South River Rescue Squad Inc. (SRRS) and South River Emergency Medical Services Inc. (SREMS) for alleged negligence while on duty.

Despite the ongoing lawsuit against the SRRS and the SREMS, the Borough Council approved a resolution on Aug. 19 awarding a contract for providing basic life support emergency medical service response and transportation system for the borough to Robert Wood Johnson Health Network, Inc. (RWJ).

The SRRS is a local corporation, which handles emergency medical services in South River from midnight to 6 a.m. and consists of volunteer members. Its principal place of business is at 6 Thomas St., according to a court document filed by the borough.

SREMS is a local corporation, which handles emergency medical services in the borough from 6 a.m. to midnight and consists of paid employees, according to a court document filed by the borough.

Borough Administrator Art Londensky said that currently, the case is still in Middlesex County Superior Court.

In response to the borough’s allegations, the rescue squad and SREMS deny the allegations regarding inappropriate responses to calls. The rescue squad and SREMS also deny the allegations of having remaining calls requiring responses from a split crew, coverage by the paid crew or having to call a neighboring emergency medical service provider, according to a court document from attorney Herbert Ellis.

There have been reports of rescue squad members using squad vehicles for unauthorized and personal use. There have also been reports that rescue squad members are consuming alcohol in the basement of the squad house after they leave their day jobs, according to the lawsuit.

The rescue squad and SREMS also deny the allegations of its members using squad vehicles for unauthorized and personal uses, according to Ellis.

On April 22, Londensky said a resolution was approved by the council authorizing Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to temporarily handle all emergency calls that come from the borough until a permanent emergency medical services provider is chosen.

The borough received proposals from qualified individuals and firms to provide basic life support emergency medical service response and transportation system, according to the council agenda.

Borough Attorney Andrea Wyatt said RWJ was the only company that answered the bid. The council awarded the contract to RWJ for a period of one year with the option to renew for an additional term of one year, according to the council agenda.

With the contract having a one-year renewal clause, Wyatt said, “The council expressed [its] desire to do this as a short-term measure to figure out which way you want to go with your EMS services. So it’s only for one year.”

The resolution will be effective immediately, according to the council agenda.

SREMS Executive Director Michael Ayers said, “The ongoing litigation is still active. SREMS and SRRS are both non-profit organizations and are trying to come to a resolution with the Borough of South River and South River EMS and rescue squad will continue to aggressively defend our volunteer members and career staff in regards to all the allegations made by the [borough] in their lawsuit against both organizations.”

Resident Lewis Glogower-Lopez asked the council several questions pertaining to the details of the contract regarding how the EMS ambulance billing for service will be handled for residents to if the Basic Life Support/EMS vendor will be contractually required to carry the Narcan, Epi-Pens, aspirin, etc., on all their South River assigned Basic Life Support ambulances.

Wyatt said if residents would like to learn more information about the contract they can obtain a copy from the borough clerk’s office.

“The [rescue squad] is alive and operational and wants to continue to serve the community in many other areas other than just Basic Life Support/EMS ambulance calls,” Ayers said. “The rescue squad and SREMS are not going any place anytime soon. We will never surrender to a political witch hunt.”

Ayers said the rescue squad and SREMS are busy saving lives and property, as it is conducting vital services on the many navigable waterways in the area. The rescue squad owns and operates its own medical rescue boat and has been on two search and rescue calls on Raritan River just in one day last week.

“Meanwhile, the borough has cut the internet service to the squad building, all medical supplies and fuel to the rescue squad; however, that has not stopped our dedicated volunteers and staff from serving with our rescue squad-owned and SREMS-owned equipment. We all chipped in many ways to get the missions done even if [it] means filling up the fuel tanks ourselves,” he said.

Ayers said the rescue squad and SREMS have recently purchased an ambulance of its own and will continue to contribute to the borough and local communities in other capacities when needed, or if called upon.

For more information about the RWJ contract, visit www.southrivernj.org/clerk/ or call 732-257-1999, ext. 116.

Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].