Possible Private Ambulance Service Plan Heats Up Wayne Council Race

WAYNE, NJ — The township and the Wayne Memorial First Aid squad are working on a solution to address a lack of volunteers able to respond to emergency calls in Wayne, Mayor Christopher Vergano and other officials said.

A switch to privatized ambulance services could cost residents out of pocket, while starting a hybrid model where the First Aid Squad pays EMTs part-time could drain the squad’s financial reserves, officials said.

The squad needs between 80 and 100 volunteer members to cover the calls for aid they get, the mayor said – and they currently have 40 members. The township has had to rely on private ambulance companies for about 40 percent of calls, Vergano said following a heated Township Council meeting that occurred while he was on vacation.

"Waiting times for ambulances has dramatically increased because our police dispatchers have had to call multiple services in order to find an available ambulance," Vergano said.

Meeting minutes from the First Aid Squad do indicate that the township is in talks with Atlantic Health System Inc., but nothing has officially come up before the council as a solution to the wait times.

On Sept. 20, Councilwoman Francine Ritter (D-5th Ward) said members of the squad came to her about a privatization plan. She questioned Matthew Cavallo, Commissioner of First Aid and Safety for the squad, about a "secret" deal Vergano made for daytime ambulance services.

Cavallo is also challenging Ritter’s spot on Council as a Republican this November. She questioned him directly at the meeting after he gave his scheduled report, starting an exchange that lasted 19 minutes and got other Council members involved.

Ritter alluded to a “backroom deal” that Vergano, who was absent from the meeting, made with Atlantic Health System Inc. of Morristown to provide daytime ambulance service in the township beginning next January.

“I find this deeply disturbing, and so should you,” Ritter said. “And so should every member of this council, and everyone in the public.”

Other council members seemed surprised by the information, and criticized her for catching them off guard.

“If you consider this so dire, then the rest of it should be privy to it as soon as you’re privy to it, unless there’s political motivations,” said councilman David Varano (R-at large).

“I’m not going to entertain a secret society and tell you guys, and not tell the public,” said Ritter, who is the only Democrat currently on the township council.

In a statement, Cavallo and First Aid Squad Chief Chitta Sikder said they have not gotten plans from Vergano or his administration about outsourcing ambulance services, “nor are we aware of any confirmed January 1, 2024 start date.”

"The decline in volunteer participation within organizations like the Squad is a nationwide concern, further exacerbated by the recent pandemic," they said. "Our leadership and Mayor Vergano have been exploring potential solutions to address this decline for some time now."

Cavallo and Sikder noted that while the township has been talking with Atlantic Health Services, the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad has not been involved in any negotiations.

The Wayne Democratic Club also released a statement, encouraging people to attend the Oct. 4 meeting and speak out against the privatization plan.

"Free daytime ambulance service in Wayne Township will end...unless the public can beat back Mayor Vergano's secret scheme to turn Wayne's daytime ambulance response over to Atlantic Health Systems," the Democratic Club said after the meeting.

Meeting minutes from the volunteer squad indicate that Atlantic Health would be ready to station two ambulances in the township with 60 days’ notice, possibly providing services in the township from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

The mayor did not support a hybrid model plan for when volunteers are unable, which would be at no cost to residents but ultimately take money from the squad's reserves, according to the First Aid Squad.

"The Squad would not be able to maintain the services in this manner for an extended period and would need to find other revenue sources to continue staffing the ambulance service," Cavallo and Sikder said in their statement.

There are no ordinances or resolutions regarding the First Aid Squad on Council’s Oct. 4 agenda as of this publication, and no indication when any privatization plan would begin.

Council meets Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; click here to see the meeting agenda. Meetings take place at Council's chambers at the Wayne Municipal Building (475 Valley Road).