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Volunteer ambulance leaders describe Bergen County MOU; contract not yet signed
Summary
Township volunteer ambulance leaders told council a memorandum of understanding with Bergen County will station county resources at the township ambulance building to fill daytime coverage gaps; the MOU was described as still unsigned and administrators said metrics will be tracked monthly.
Leaders of the Township of Washington Volunteer Ambulance Corps told the Township Council on Feb. 18 that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bergen County will place a county ambulance at the township’s emergency services building to supplement volunteer coverage during daytime hours.
Eugene Greco, president of the Township of Washington Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and corps treasurer Richard Myers described the proposed coverage model: Bergen County ambulances would staff the building primarily from about 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., while Washington Township volunteers would continue to cover nights and some weekends. The county unit would be priority for calls when present and would fill in when township crews are unavailable, the presenters said. Greco told the council the county would accept whatever the patient’s insurance covers and the county would not levy additional town-level charges to residents.
Council members questioned the operational details, including whether the county ambulance would remain on-site when not actively responding to calls and how coverage would be determined. Greco said county crews would return to the township building between calls but could be dispatched elsewhere if called. Administration told the council the MOU is “in the works” but not yet signed; staff said the county has already assisted by covering calls while the parties finalize paperwork.
Council member questions about capacity and accountability prompted administrators to describe monitoring steps. Police dispatch will begin recording the responding agency for each ambulance call; administration recommended waiting one or two months to accumulate reporting before presenting a monthly summary to council. The ambulance corps also said it is recruiting volunteers and that a recent change to LOSAP (Length of Service Awards Program) increased member participation, according to the corps’ representatives.
No formal council action was recorded during the presentation; administration said the agreement would appear in the consent agenda when ready for formal authorization and that the MOU was included in the meeting packet as a short memorandum of understanding.
Why it matters: The MOU aims to address recurring daytime coverage gaps while preserving volunteer night coverage. Council members sought measurable reporting and a clear timeline for when the MOU would be finalized and monitored.
