HILLSBOROUGH: EMS vote a disappointing result for township

To the editor:, It has been two weeks since the township committee voted 4-0 to outsource Hillsborough’s EMS services, and it is clear this issue is not going away anytime soon. At the township committee meeting, which went well past 11:00 am, the room was overflowing. Upwards of twenty people stood up to plead with the township committee members to not accept the services of Robert Wood Johnson., Since then, Jane Staats and I have been knocking on doors and asking residents what their thoughts are on the issue. Every single one that we talked to about this issue was just as lost for words and concerned about losing HEMS. Residents still don’t understand why this had to happen., The township committee members have stated that they are saving the taxpayers significant amounts of money for this change in emergency service provider. They are not taking into account the likely increase in billing from ambulance transportations to Robert Wood Johnson hospitals that will fall onto the backs of “third party” persons, a.k.a the residents of Hillsborough Township. This could very well lead to increases in hospital bills for seniors, families, and other residents throughout town. The savings for the township budget won’t outweigh the costs that residents could pay in billing increases for this change in service., Aside from this glaring issue, and several others, this whole process got off to an odd start in 2014. I am talking about the initial Fitch report the township has cited as the basis for criticisms against HEMS., In 2014 the township was recommended four consultant agencies to conduct a report on HEMS’ emergency services to Hillsborough. The one the town chose was Fitch and Associates. The issue with Fitch is they, at the time of the report, had an affiliate who also worked for Robert Wood Johnson’s EMS, an apparent conflict of interest that was brought to the town’s attention. They even had to put in the report a disclaimer on page 48, “An affiliate of Fitch and Associates provides management services, under contract, for RWJUH Mobile Health Service (EMS).” This conflict should have led to the immediate rejection of Fitch’s services to Hillsborough as soon as town officials were notified about this relationship. The town could have used one of the other three agencies that were suggested to them or sought the services of several other consultants that are out there., It is frustrating and upsetting to have seen the township committee’s decision in person. It is even worse to see it on the faces of residents who could not understand why the township committee picked Robert Wood Johnson over our local HEMS., Harry Burke, Hillsborough, Democratic primary candidate for township committee