ALLENTOWN – The Borough Council intends to award a 24-hour emergency medical services contract to Capital Health by entering into a shared services agreement with neighboring Upper Freehold Township.
According to a resolution council members passed in a 5-0 vote on Jan. 21, officials in Allentown and Upper Freehold Township “have been working together to provide emergency medical services to residents in both communities at a cost that is manageable.”
The resolution goes on to state that both municipalities “put out multiple requests for professional services for emergency medical services for Allentown alone, Upper Freehold Township alone, and both communities together in 12-hour and 24-hour scheduling.”
In late January, Allentown’s municipal representatives “determined it is in (the borough’s) best interest to enter into a shared service agreement with Upper Freehold Township for 24-hour emergency medical services with Capital Health as the provider in an amount not to exceed $300,000 total each year for four years.”
Allentown will be responsible for paying 27% of the total annual cost of the contract with no more than a 2% adjustment per year based on a rolling average of call volume which will dictate the annual cost sharing between the two communities, according to the resolution.
Also on Jan. 21, the council members passed a resolution that memorializes an annual donation from the borough to the Allentown First Aid Squad.
The resolution states that municipal officials in Allentown and Upper Freehold Township are working together to enter into a shared services agreement for emergency medical services that will be from a third party and not from the Allentown First Aid Squad.
Council members said they “support the work of the Allentown First Aid Squad volunteers as they provide and have provided a valuable service to our community.”
The council members said the Public Safety committee has recommended that the governing body make an annual contribution of $6,000 to the first aid squad so it can continue its community education and outreach, its attendance at annual community events and sporting events, its maintenance of a youth cadet program, its cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes and the use of its community room.
Council President Robert Strovinsky and council members John A. Elder III, Michael Drennan, Dan Payson and Martha Johnson pledged to make an annual contribution of $6,000 to the first aid squad.
The council members said in the resolution that they “strongly encourage Upper Freehold Township to make an annual contribution to the first aid squad since (the services noted above) are provided to the benefit of both communities.”
Councilwoman Angela Anthony was absent from the meeting.
Mayor Thomas Fritts said officials’ first option was “to maintain our volunteers,” but he added, “things have changed and it’s a real struggle” for the first aid squad.
“The Allentown First Aid Squad has been fantastic. They have worked with us on every step,” he said.
Fritts said if Allentown’s representatives wanted to enter into a contract with a third party emergency medial services provider, the cost to the borough could have approached $400,000 per year.
He said the more affordable option for Allentown would be to enter into the anticipated shared services agreement with Upper Freehold Township that will have the borough pay 27% of the annual cost of the emergency medial services contract.
The Allentown council’s next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Borough Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
