Commissioners halt EMS contract after court grants temporary order; residents demand more public input

A temporary court order has paused a recently awarded contract for emergency medical services, commissioners said during Collingswood's reorganizational meeting, setting off extended public comment about transparency, staffing and municipal control of EMS.

A commissioner told the meeting that a judge granted the board's request for temporary relief to stop the EMS contract while the borough's legal challenge proceeds. "The court granted our request," the commissioner said, adding that the board will meet again to determine whether the relief should be made permanent.

The dispute has focused on whether the borough should continue expanding its in-house EMS capability or outsource the service. At the meeting a commissioner estimated the borough receives about $450,000 in EMS billing revenue and said a private contractor would retain some or all of those funds. "There's $450,000 of revenue that comes from the EMS services," the commissioner said, noting that an outside vendor keeping that revenue could reduce funds available to support the fire department.

Residents urged more public engagement and criticized the process around the request for proposals (RFP). "When you do things in government it affects everyone," said resident Larry Djavi, asking why the public had not been more involved. A nurse who identified herself as Eileen said she felt "insulted" the public was not told about the change and that residents deserve a voice on ambulance services that affect older residents.

Other commenters pointed to the practical trade-offs. One resident and a commissioner described a scenario in which hiring two or three additional EMS staff could cost roughly $200,000 annually but reduce overtime and improve response capacity; others noted contracting could be presented as a zero-cost stopgap while the borough finds a long-term solution.

Commissioners and staff proposed next steps: holding regular open work sessions to review background material and options in public, hiring independent consultants to develop recommendations, and engaging the fire chief and experts to evaluate operational impacts. The mayor and commissioners said they would post the work sessions online and record them so residents can review the deliberations.

The meeting also saw discussion of a drafted ordinance to expand the governing body from three to five members, a change supporters say could reduce deadlocks when a commissioner recuses themselves. The commissioner who discussed the ordinance said a draft would be circulated to the solicitor and commissioners for review.

The court action and any further board votes on EMS are pending. Officials said additional public meetings and consultant work are forthcoming; the legal challenge to the contract will proceed in court.