[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Township of Florence
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 5-3-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-13[1]]
There is hereby created and established a fire district within the Township
of Florence, County of Burlington and State of New Jersey, the boundary of
which is the corporate boundary of the Township of Florence. The Fire District
shall be known as Florence Township Fire District No. 1.
Within the Township of Florence, there is hereby established one Fire
Company, known as Florence Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 1. This fire
company is recognized by the Township of Florence and the Florence Township
Fire District No. 1 as being duly created and responsible for emergency operations
within the Township of Florence. The operations of the Fire Department are
administered and defined by the Standard Operating Procedures established
by the Florence Township Fire District No. 1 and by such other applicable
laws and ordinances.
[Adopted 6-21-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-18]
The full title of this article shall be "Fees for Emergency Medical
Services to be Charged in the Township of Florence."
The Township of Florence, in cooperation with Florence Township Fire
District No. 1, shall provide emergency medical services to citizens of, and
visitors to, the Township of Florence on a twenty-four-hour-per-day basis
throughout the year to the extent that those services are available. This
provision includes such mutual aid arrangements involving neighboring municipalities
as may be entered into.
Except as may be arranged pursuant to a duly adopted emergency medical
service agreement as further set forth in this article, the fee to be charged
by the Township of Florence for emergency medical services shall be the amount
of $500 for each and every incident where the Township's emergency medical
services are utilized for transportation. In addition, there shall be a charge
of $8.50 for each mile or part of a mile traveled. Any bill for services shall
be sent directly to the individual to whom the services were provided, and
a copy of the bill shall be forwarded to that individual's insurance
carrier, if the individual has insurance coverage related to the services.
The fee individuals pay to the Township of Florence for providing emergency
medical services shall be paid by any combination of the following:
A.
Payment by the insurance company for service provided
to an individual who has insurance coverage for the same.
B.
Direct payments from persons for whom service has been
provided for any amount which is not covered by insurance.
C.
Payments pursuant to any service agreement with any person,
agency or other entity that has entered into an emergency medical service
agreement as further set forth in this article.
No individual needing emergency medical services within the jurisdiction
and limits of the Township of Florence, or the mutual aid areas covered by
the emergency medical services, to the extent that services are available,
shall be denied the services on any basis whatsoever, including and not limited
to residency, ability to pay or any other factor. No person located within
the Township's jurisdictional limits shall be denied emergency medical
services to the extent that the same are available.
Personnel of the Florence Township Fire District No. 1 shall maintain
accurate records of all requests for emergency medical services and any service
calls and any services provided in response thereto. The records shall be
maintained on forms approved by the Township Administrator and shall include
an authorization for the services by the individual to whom the services are
rendered or verification from a medical establishment that the services were
necessary in instances where the individual receiving the services is not
able to authorize the same. The records shall further include certain patient
information, including the general nature of the call, the complete name,
mailing address, telephone number, social security number and location for
transport of all individuals receiving the emergency medical services within
the Township of Florence.
A.
Persons receiving a bill from the Township of Florence
for emergency medical services shall be responsible for payment of the bill
in full to the agent designated by the Township of Florence within 30 days
of the date of mailing of the bill. The thirty-day period for payment may
be extended upon proof of submission of the bill to the individual's
insurance carrier, upon which time payment shall be due within 30 days of
the receipt of the bill by the insurance carrier but in no event later than
60 days from the date of the bill.
B.
Persons receiving emergency medical services within the
Township of Florence who have health insurance coverage regarding the services
are required to cooperate fully with the agent designated by the Township
of Florence and other Township personnel or agents thereof so that full payment
is secured for the services provided.
C.
In the event that any health insurance does not fully
cover the amount billed by the Township of Florence, the Township will accept
the partial payment to the extent of the individual's policy limits concerning
the services, including any deductibles and coinsurance requirements as payment
in full for the services provided.
D.
In the event that the recipient of services does not
have health insurance coverage regarding the emergency medical services, payment
in full shall be required unless the individual can submit sufficient proof
to the agent designated by the Township of Florence in the form of an affidavit
with attached tax records indicating inability to pay the full charge. In
such circumstance, a minimum payment in an amount not less than the current
customary payment provided by Medicare for the services shall be accepted
as payment in full.
The Township Administrator may implement appropriate written regulations
to further the purpose and intent of this article.
Nothing in this article is intended to or in any way waives any immunity
afforded the Township of Florence, the Florence Township Fire District No.
1 or the Florence Township Police Department. This specifically includes any
immunity contained in Title 59 of the New Jersey Statutes Annotated or any
other immunity provided, whether the same be statutory or otherwise.
Any person or other entity who violates this article shall be subject to the penalties for violations of the Florence Township Code, as provided in § 1-10.
