[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Edgewater as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted 4-21-1981 by Ord. No. 686-81 (Ch. 44 of the 1975
Code)]
[Amended 10-8-1985 by Ord. No. 827-85]
A.
There is hereby established in the Borough of Edgewater a Volunteer
First-Aid Squad. The Mayor and Council may appoint one of its members
to serve as liaison between the governing body and the Volunteer First-Aid
Squad.
B.
It shall be the function of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad to render
ambulance and first-aid service in emergencies and when called upon
in accordance with the bylaws and rules and regulations established
by the Mayor and Council for the governance of said Squad.
The Volunteer First-Aid Squad shall have the power to adopt
such constitution and bylaws for its government and management as
shall not be inconsistent with the laws of the United States, the
State of New Jersey or the Borough of Edgewater or with the rules
and regulations which may be adopted or approved by the Mayor and
Council. The constitution and bylaws shall not become effective until
they have been submitted to and approved by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Edgewater.
A.
No person shall become a member of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad
unless, at the time of his or her appointment, confirmation or election
by the Mayor and Council, he or she shall be a resident of the State
of New Jersey, a citizen of the United States, the holder of a valid
license to operate a motor vehicle in the State of New Jersey, of
good moral character, between the ages of 18 and 55 years and shall
have submitted to a physical examination and presented to the Mayor
and Council a physician's certificate indicating such person's physical
fitness.
B.
An individual's membership in the Volunteer First-Aid Squad shall
terminate upon the date of his or her 65th birthday.
C.
Every person seeking to become a member of the Volunteer First-Aid
Squad shall first make application to the Squad, and after approval
of such application by the membership and subsequent confirmation
by the Mayor and Council, such person shall become a member in good
standing of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad.
D.
Any applicant who has been rejected by the Volunteer First-Aid Squad
may appeal to the Mayor and Council within 30 days after such rejection,
by filing with the Borough Clerk a written statement setting forth
fully the grounds upon which such person believes the application
was denied and other facts that may be proper and relevant to such
issue. The Mayor and Council shall inform the applicant of the date
set for a hearing. At the hearing, the Mayor and Council, after considering
all relevant evidence, shall determine whether or not the applicant
shall be admitted to membership, and such decision shall be final.
In the event of a vacancy in any office, the Squad shall hold an election
for such office and such person elected by the active members shall,
after confirmation by the Mayor and Council, enter into the performance
of the duties thereof.
A.
There shall be five classes of members in the Volunteer First-Aid
Squad, which classes are as follows:
(1)
Active members shall be those members who hold a current American
National Red Cross standard first-aid certificate and who have been
elected to full active membership.
(2)
Active associate members shall be those members who have not yet
completed the standard first-aid training course, but who have been
assigned to limited active duty in order to fill the required quota
of the squad.
(3)
Inactive associate members shall consist of those who have signified
their intention of becoming active members of the squad and who are
qualified in all respects, except that they may not have completed
the standard first-aid training course and have not been assigned
to active duty.
(4)
Drivers shall consist of those active members who have completed
a defensive driving course.
(5)
Medical advisory membership shall consist of local physicians who
have agreed to serve in an advisory capacity to the Squad and who
shall be appointed by the active membership on a year-to-year basis.
B.
All associate members shall qualify as active members within one
year from the date of their becoming associate members, unless granted
an extension of time by the Squad membership.
C.
Appointments to active membership shall be made from the associate
membership list in the order of their election as associate members.
D.
All members and employees of the Squad shall be subject to all laws
of the State of New Jersey, which have been or may be in the future
enacted concerning the conduct, benefit and protection of members
of a volunteer ambulance and first-aid squad.
The officers of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad shall consist
of a Chief, a Captain, a Lieutenant and a Secretary/Treasurer, who
shall be active members in good standing. The officers shall be elected
annually by the active members of the Squad in the manner prescribed
by the Squad's bylaws, and upon their confirmation by the Mayor and
Council, such officers shall commence the performance of their duties
and hold office for a term of one year or until their successors have
been qualified.
A.
The Chief shall be in charge of the actual operation of the Volunteer
First-Aid Squad. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the Squad,
appoint all committees, call special meetings and shall be responsible
for the good order of the equipment used by the Squad. The Chief shall
conduct and be in charge of all drill meetings and shall supervise,
prepare and post all duty rosters and shall supervise the preparation
of reports of all Squad activities.
B.
The Captain shall assist the Chief in the performance of the duties
of such office and in the absence of the Chief, shall perform all
his or her duties.
C.
The Lieutenant shall be third-in-command of the Squad and shall perform
the duties of the Chief when both the Chief and the Captain are absent.
D.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all meetings
of the Squad, shall notify all members of meetings and shall keep
and answer all correspondence addressed to the Squad and shall make
a monthly report of the Squad's activities to be submitted to the
liaison designated by the governing body. In addition, the Secretary/Treasurer
shall be the custodian of all funds of the Squad other than those
set forth for the Squad in the local municipal budget of the Borough.
Such officer shall also keep an accurate record of all deposits made
by the Squad in any bank accounts established by it and shall sign
all properly drawn checks and shall additionally keep an accurate
account of all receipts and expenditures made on behalf of the Squad.
[Added 5-18-1982 by Ord. No. 721-82]
There is hereby established in the Volunteer First-Aid Squad
a Youth Squad to work with the Volunteer First-Aid Squad in the emergency
and nonemergency care and transportation of the sick and injured of
the Borough of Edgewater.
[Added 5-18-1982 by Ord. No. 721-82]
A.
No person shall become a member of the Volunteer First-Aid Youth
Squad unless at the time of his or her appointment he or she shall
be a resident of the State of New Jersey, a citizen of the United
States, of good moral character and at least 16 years of age, but
shall not have reached his or her 18th birthday. An applicant for
membership shall also have submitted to a physical examination and
present to the Mayor and Council a physician's certificate indicating
such person's physical fitness. Such person shall also be required
to obtain permission from his or her parent or guardian in writing
before becoming a member.
B.
Every person seeking to become a member of the Youth Squad shall
first make application to the Youth Squad, and upon approval by the
Youth Squad, the application shall be submitted to the Volunteer First-Aid
Squad, and after approval of such application by the membership and
subsequent confirmation by the Mayor and Council, such person shall
become a member in good standing of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad.
C.
All members of the Youth Squad shall be required to complete first-aid
courses and obtain appropriate certification as is established by
the constitution and bylaws of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad.
D.
An individual's membership in the Youth Squad shall terminate upon
the date of his or her 18th birthday; provided, however, that upon
reaching the age of 18 such member may submit an application for membership
to the Volunteer First-Aid Squad for its review and approval and subsequent
approval by the Mayor and Council. During the period of time from
which the Youth Squad member submits an application for membership
in the Volunteer First-Aid Squad and the time a decision is rendered
on such application by the Mayor and Council, the member shall be
permitted to function as a Youth Squad member.
[Added 5-18-1982 by Ord. No. 721-82]
A.
Only those members of the Youth Squad who have met the minimum training
required for membership shall be permitted to perform the duties of
members of the Youth Squad. No Youth Squad member shall be permitted
to drive the ambulance, to be a crew chief or to ride on the same
crew as another Youth Squad member.
B.
A member of the Youth Squad shall be required to ride as a fourth
member on an ambulance crew until the Volunteer First-Aid Squad determines
that such member is capable of being a third member of the crew. No
member of the Youth Squad shall be permitted to ride in the back of
the ambulance when a patient is being transported, unless an active
member of the First-Aid Squad is present.
[Added 5-18-1982 by Ord. No. 721-82]
The Volunteer First-Aid Youth Squad shall have the power to
adopt such constitution and bylaws for its government and management
as shall not be inconsistent with the laws of the United States, State
of New Jersey or the Borough of Edgewater or with the rules and regulations
which may be adopted or approved by the Mayor and Council. The constitution
and bylaws shall not become effective until they have been submitted
to and approved by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Edgewater.
All apparatus and equipment of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad
shall be and remain the property of the Borough of Edgewater, and
the costs of operation, maintenance, repair and replacement shall
be as provided for in the local municipal budget. No one other than
a member of the corps, duly licensed under the laws of the State of
New Jersey to operate a motor vehicle, shall operate any of the ambulance
apparatus of the Borough. Except in the case of an emergency call,
no apparatus belonging to the Borough utilized by the Volunteer First-Aid
Squad shall be removed from the Borough limits by any member of the
Squad without the approval of the Mayor and Council. In the event
that any such approval is given, any equipment so removed from the
Borough limits shall be returned immediately in the case of an alarm
within the Borough and, in all other cases, immediately after the
occasion for its absence shall have ended.
[Amended 4-15-2002 by Ord. No. 1234-2002]
The members of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad shall be entitled
to receive a stipend, subject to the following requirements:
A.
A member shall be entitled to earn a maximum stipend of $700 per
month. One-half of the maximum stipend, or the sum of $350, shall
be earned by a member for working one evening from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00
a.m. during the period beginning on Sunday night and ending Thursday
night each week. One-half of the stipend, or $350, shall be earned
by working the required weekend shifts as designated by the officers.
[Amended 12-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-018]
B.
The following additional requirements must be satisfied in order
to earn the maximum stipend of $400 per month:
(1)
All members of the Volunteer First-Aid Squad shall be required to
work the same number of shifts per month.
(2)
Each crew chief is responsible for completing crew chief sheets and
providing them on a timely basis to the Captain of the Volunteer First-Aid
Squad or his/her designee.
(3)
Members shall be required to advise by telephone their crew chief
as to their on-duty status.
(4)
The Captain shall assign crew chiefs for all weekend shifts.
C.
Members failing to achieve the maximum stipend may receive a pro
rata payment for time served in meeting scheduling requirements.
[Added 12-1-1992 by Ord. No. 998-92]
Upon the completion of six months of service as a member of
the Volunteer First-Aid Squad, a member shall receive reimbursement
for the expense associated with course work necessary to obtain the
requisite certification as a member of the First-Aid Squad. No member
shall be entitled to receive such reimbursement unless he or she shall
have been a member in good standing for at least six months prior
to the time of such reimbursement.
Any donations, gratuities or gifts of money made to the Squad
shall be deposited in the Squad's bank account and shall be used for
Squad purposes.
[Adopted 9-20-2010 by Ord. No. 1445-2010[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of
1-1-2011.
A.
The provision of EMS services by EMS providers in the Borough of
Edgewater is funded primarily by local taxes, and the Borough of Edgewater
recognizes the need to bill for the provision of EMS services in order
to aid in the provision of those services.
B.
It is in the best interest of the residents of Edgewater to establish
billing and payment procedures in order to minimize any out-of-pocket
expenses for Borough residents.
C.
No person requiring EMS services shall be denied services due to
a lack of insurance or an inability to pay.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any individual who is the spouse or an unemancipated child (natural,
adopted or stepchild) of a taxpayer or resident as defined below;
Any unemancipated child for whom the taxpayer or resident has
been appointed legal guardian;
Any individual who resides in a permanent domicile of the taxpayer
or resident and is claimed as a dependent for federal income tax purposes;
or
Any individual who resides in the permanent domicile of the
taxpayer or resident and who is deemed to be a dependent under the
health insurance policy of the taxpayer or resident.
The Borough of Edgewater Volunteer First-Aid Squad, Borough
of Edgewater paid EMTs, and any public or private provider of EMS
services authorized to operate within the Borough of Edgewater.
Ambulance services and emergency medical services, performed
by any EMS provider in the Borough of Edgewater, whether paid or volunteer,
public or private.
Any individual whose legal domicile is within the Borough
of Edgewater. Verification of domicile shall be based on voter registration,
a State of New Jersey driver's license, proof of filing a State of
New Jersey income tax return from a Borough of Edgewater address or
other proofs accepted under federal guidelines.
Any individual listed on the deed of ownership of any property
located within the municipal boundaries of the Borough of Edgewater
and their dependents as defined above. In the case of a corporation
or partnership, only those individuals retaining a twenty-five-percent-or-greater
ownership shall be considered a taxpayer. For the purpose of determining
a twenty-five-percent-or-greater ownership, adult married or civil
union partners may combine their ownership. A taxpayer's dependent,
as defined above, shall be considered a taxpayer.
A.
All patients, whether or not residents of the Borough of Edgewater,
and/or their financially responsible parties, insurers or carriers
will be billed for EMS services provided by an EMS provider according
to the fee schedule established herein or at rates established by
the Borough of Edgewater from time to time.
B.
A patient who receives EMS services is obligated, at the time of
service or as soon as practicable thereafter, to provide the EMS provider
with all pertinent insurance and payment information to facilitate
the billing of third-party payment sources for services rendered.
The Borough or EMS provider may, at its option, and shall, where required
by law, bill insurers or carriers on a patient's behalf, or accept
payment on an assignment basis.
C.
All patients who are not residents or taxpayers of the Borough of
Edgewater shall be liable for any copayment or deductible amounts
not satisfied by public or private insurance, and the Borough or EMS
provider shall make reasonable collection efforts for all such balances.
The Borough may bill any applicable coinsurance carriers for such
amounts. Exceptions include only those instances where the Borough
or EMS provider has knowledge of a particular patient's indigence
or where the Borough has made a determination that the cost of billing
and collecting such copayments or deductibles exceeds or is disproportionate
to the amounts to be collected.
[Amended 5-16-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-008]
The Borough of Edgewater may contract with a professional medical
billing service for the collection of payment for services rendered
by the Borough of Edgewater First Aid Squad or Borough of Edgewater
paid EMTs. Said bill shall be issued to the insurance company for
the person served, if any, or directly to the person served if insurance
coverage is not available. Fees to be charged for EMS services shall
be as follows:
The Borough of Edgewater and, if applicable, its professional
medical billing service shall maintain accurate records of all Borough
of Edgewater EMS requests for service, service calls, and EMS services
approved and/or rendered by the Borough of Edgewater First-Aid Squad
or other Edgewater EMS provider. All other EMS providers shall maintain
accurate records of same for all requests for service, service calls,
and services approved and/or rendered by the EMS provider while on
duty, as well as all other records required by the Borough. Said records
shall include pertinent information about the general nature of the
call and shall identify the complete name, mailing address, place
of domicile, location and telephone numbers of all persons requesting
and receiving EMS services, as well as all pertinent and available
insurance information.
Persons receiving a bill for EMS services shall make payment
to the Borough, its professional medical billing service or the EMS
provider who rendered EMS services, as appropriate, within 30 days,
or provide proof that they have submitted a claim to their insurance
carrier for payment within 30 days of receipt of request of a bill.
These provisions shall be subject to the following:
A.
Persons receiving EMS services who have health insurance to cover
ambulance and emergency medical services are expected to cooperate
with the appropriate billing entity to secure full payment for services
rendered.
B.
In the event the health insurance company of a taxpayer or resident
does not pay the bill in full, the EMS provider will accept such partial
payment to the extent on the insured's policy limits, including deductible
and coinsurance requirements, as payment in full.
C.
In the event a taxpayer or resident of the Borough of Edgewater does
not have health insurance, payment shall not be required.
D.
Due to the time requirements for the preparation and processing of
insurance claims, interest shall not be charged on Borough of Edgewater
EMS billings.
E.
After providing EMS services, the Borough shall transmit all pertinent billing information to the Borough's professional medical billing service for collection as set forth in Subsection F below. The professional medical billing service shall be responsible for receipt of payment and proper recordkeeping of its collections as provided in its contract with the Borough of Edgewater. Payments received by the professional medical billing service shall, thereafter, be transmitted electronically to a designated account of the Borough of Edgewater to be administered by the Borough of Edgewater Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In addition, the professional medical billing service shall simultaneously transmit a transport report to the Borough of Edgewater First-Aid Squad or its designee for its review and approval and transmit a copy to the Borough CFO or his or her designee. The Squad shall prepare a reconciliation report and shall monitor the operations of the professional medical billing service, including billing activities and receipt of funds.
F.
The professional medical billing service shall be responsible for
the initial billing and two follow-up billings. Costs associated with
the professional medical billing service shall be as provided in its
contract with the Borough of Edgewater. After three attempts to collect
said claim, the professional medical billing service shall notify
the Borough of Edgewater and relinquish rights to that billing, unless
otherwise directed by the Borough Administrator. The Borough of Edgewater
may turn said delinquent accounts over to a collection agency that
will be compensated on a percent of cash collections of the delinquent
accounts. The Borough of Edgewater reserves the right to determine
that a bill is uncollectible and should be written off.
G.
The Borough of Edgewater may, either directly or through any third-party
billing agency with which it has contracted for billing and/or collections
for emergency medical services, make arrangements with patients and/or
their financially responsible party for installment payments of bills
or forgive any bill or portion thereof so long as the Borough determines
that the financial condition of the patient requires such an arrangement
and the patient and/or financially responsible party has demonstrated
a willingness to make good-faith efforts towards payment of the bill.
H.
A patient, including a Borough resident, for whom the Borough of
Edgewater has not received payment from a third-party payer on assignment
and who receives payment directly from a third-party payer for EMS
services rendered by the Borough of Edgewater First-Aid Squad or other
Edgewater EMS provider is obligated to remit such monies to the Borough
in the event the Borough has not been paid for services rendered.
Patients who do not remit such monies may be held liable for costs
of collection in addition to the charges for emergency medical services
rendered. Any person who shall violate the terms and provisions of
this section shall also, upon conviction, be subject to the penalties
provided in the general penalty provision of this Code.[1]
I.
Payment procedures for all other EMS providers shall be as set forth
in the contract between the Borough and said EMS provider.
