[Added 11-18-2019 by Ord.
No. 49-2019]
A Bureau of Emergency Medical Services shall be and the same
is hereby created and established in the City of Millville, County
of Cumberland and State of New Jersey.
The official name of said department shall be "City of Millville
Fire Department — Bureau of Emergency Medical Services."
The words "he" and "his" shall be taken to also mean and include
the words "she" and "hers," and said words shall, for purposes of
this chapter, be interchangeable with each other.
A.
The Bureau of Emergency Medical Services shall consist of career
and part-time personnel, which shall consist of the positions of Chief
Emergency Medical Technician ("Chief EMT"), Medical Director, and
emergency medical technicians (both full-time and part-time/per diem),
in a quantity designated by the City Commission and appointed by the
appointing authority. The Bureau may also consist of a volunteer section,
if deemed necessary by the Fire Chief, which shall be governed in
accordance with state law, rules and regulations and standard operating
procedures adopted by the appropriate authority.
B.
The Chief EMT shall report to the Fire Chief.
C.
In the absence of the Fire Chief and Chief EMT, the on-duty Fire
Captain, or acting Captain, will oversee EMS operations.
A.
The work and functions of said EMS shall be to protect lives and
property within the City and, subject to law, rules and regulations,
and standard operating procedures, within neighboring municipalities
against fire or other disasters. Said work and functions are hereby
declared to be and constitute a public purpose.
B.
The Bureau shall be in compliance with N.J.A.C. 8:40-1.1 et seq.
and all other statutory and regulations within the state. In addition
to the emergency medical services herein authorized, the Bureau may
provide secondary nonemergency transport based on criteria established
by the Bureau.
A.
The Bureau shall at all times be and remain under the supervision
and control of the Chief EMT and/or designee in coordination with
the Fire Chief and shall render emergency services to the City as
needed. Said Bureau shall be governed in accordance with state law,
rules and regulations, and standard operating procedures.
B.
The Bureau is governed by all of the policies and procedures of the
City of Millville. The Chief EMT and/or his/her designee shall develop
supplemental policies and procedures tailored to the specific protocols
governing the Bureau.
The Chief EMT shall be the head of the Bureau of Emergency Medical
Services and shall report to the Chief of the Fire Department for
its efficiency and day-to-day operations pursuant to policies established
by the City Commission. The Chief EMT shall:
A.
Administer and enforce the rules and regulations of the Bureau of
Emergency Medical Services and special emergency directives for disposition
and discipline of the Bureau and its members;
B.
Exercise and discharge the functions and duties of the Bureau of
Emergency Medical Services;
C.
Prescribe the duties and assignments of all members of the Bureau;
D.
Delegate such authority as may be necessary for the efficient operation
of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, to be exercised under
the Chief EMT's direction and control; and
E.
Report at least monthly to the City Commission in such form as shall
be prescribed on the operation of the Bureau of Emergency Medical
Services during the preceding month, and make such other reports as
may be requested by the City Commission.
The Bureau shall be staffed by certified emergency medical technicians
("EMT") who hold a valid New Jersey driver's license and shall be
employees of the City. The Bureau shall consist of sufficient full-time
employees and sufficient part-time employees to ensure appropriate
staffing of the EMS Bureau. Employees will be appointed per New Jersey
Civil Service requirements.
No person shall be eligible to become an employee of the Bureau
unless such person possesses and provides proof of the following qualifications:
A.
All applicants for employment shall be between the age of 18 and
the state maximum permitted age.
B.
Be physically fit to perform the duties of an emergency medical technician.
The applicant shall submit to a physical, medical and psychological
evaluation by a licensed physician, the costs of which will be borne
by the employer.
C.
Prior to employment, provide the City with a criminal background
check and have no prior convictions for any offense or crime.
D.
Be subject to a motor vehicle background check with no prior record
of reckless driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
or any other serious moving violation.
E.
Be subject to preemployment and random drug testing. The position
of emergency medical technician is considered a safety sensitive position
and shall be subject to the City policies and procedures for safety
sensitive positions.
F.
Be a certified emergency medical technician of the State of New Jersey
with at least two years' experience as an emergency medical technician.
Any lapse in certification will be cause for immediate suspension
of duties. Reinstatement will only occur upon certification reinstatement.
G.
Possess a valid New Jersey driver's license and maintain same during
course of employment.
No member of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services shall
be suspended, removed, fined or reduced in rank for any cause other
than for incapacity, misconduct or disobedience, as provided in New
Jersey statutes and the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services rules
and regulations.
The staff of the City Bureau shall receive such compensation
as is provided for by salary ordinance covering their titles adopted
by the City of Millville.
All persons needing emergency or rescue services within the
City shall be serviced, to the extent that such services are available,
without discrimination on any basis and without respect to residency,
ability to pay, or any other factor. No person located within the
City at the time that either emergency medical or rescue services
are needed shall be denied available service when such services are
available.
There shall be no delay in providing available service identified
in this ordinance due to any third-party billing, prior interaction
between the person needing emergency medical or rescue services and
the billing companies or the City.
Personnel of the Bureau shall maintain accurate records of all
EMS requests for service, service calls and services provided. Said
records shall include pertinent information about the general nature
of the call and shall identify the complete name, mailing address,
location and telephone numbers of all persons requesting and receiving
EMS services as well as all pertinent and available insurance information.
The fee schedule for emergency medical services transport by
the City is as follows:
A.
Base rate: The base rate is $800 per transport. This rate includes
the dispatch of two EMTs; services of basic life support; and emergency
ambulance transportation to the following health care facilities:
(1)
Most appropriate acute care facility.
A.
The fees for emergency medical services set forth herein notwithstanding,
when a City ambulance responds to an emergency call, the City shall
engage in insurance only billing, whereby the City will accept as
payment only what is paid by the patient's health insurance plan,
applicable automobile insurance policy, or Medicare/Medicaid, and
shall not bill for any deductibles, co-pays or other balance due.
B.
The Bureau may utilize other agencies or providers for services,
such as, but not limited to, advanced life support services. Those
agencies/providers charge in accordance with their policies and are
not subject to insurance only billing, whether billed through the
division or independently to the patient.
C.
The failure of the patient to cooperate in providing necessary information,
processing insurance forms, or otherwise refusing to assist the Bureau
in collecting fees owed shall subject the patient to liability to
the City for such services.
D.
The City may contract with a professional medical billing service
for the collection of payment for services rendered by the Bureau.
Said bill shall be issued to the insurance company for the person
served or directly to the person served if there is a failure to cooperate.
[Amended 11-21-2023 by Ord. No. 41-2023]
In the event a public or private entity or individual requests
the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services to provide a unit for stand-by
coverage at an event, the Bureau may provide such coverage in the
discretion of the EMS Chief (depending upon the availability of EMS
resources) provided a fee is paid in advance in the amount of $200
per hour with a minimum of one hour for any stand by.
