Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ems Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council to invite neighboring towns to discuss paid daytime ambulance coverage after council debate
Summary
Council President Yoo proposed drafting a resolution to invite nearby municipalities to study a per‑diem daytime ambulance service after lengthy council discussion weighing a $70,000–$175,000 range of cost estimates and response‑time tradeoffs.
Council President Yoo summarized a proposal to establish a dedicated daytime ambulance service after the borough’s volunteer corps reported gaps in coverage during 6 a.m.–6 p.m. weekday hours.
“They said a dedicated ambulance service within our borders would cut response time from 25 minutes for a hospital‑based service to under 5 minutes if we are local,” Yoo said, arguing that faster response times would justify the expense. Yoo told colleagues a two‑town partnership with Rivervale could cost Old Tappan roughly $70,000 annually and that adding more towns would lower the borough’s share to roughly $53,000 a year.
A separate council member ran a per‑diem staffing estimate that assumed two EMTs on duty weekdays and an hourly per‑diem rate of $28; using that approach the councilor estimated about $175,000 in gross wages before benefits or other overhead. That back‑of‑the‑envelope calculation was presented as a caution that different staffing models produce large swings in cost.
After extended discussion about shared‑service mechanics, state study options and radio/communication compatibility across neighboring towns, the council agreed the next step is to draft a nonbinding resolution inviting potential partners to the table and, if parties commit, to pursue a DCA study and available shared‑service funding. No final funding decision was made at the meeting.
