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Ambulances removed by firefighters in NJ dispute

Members said the forcible removal of vehicles on private property amounted to theft

By Tom Quigley
The Express-Times

LEBANON TWP., N.J. — Township ambulance squad members angered by a Wednesday night township committee decision moving squad responsibilities to the fire department gathered Saturday in their West Hill Road headquarters seeking public support.

After the vote Wednesday, an estimated 10 firefighters showed up at squad headquarters, stood between two squad members and the station’s two ambulances, and drove the fully equipped vehicles to an unknown location, squad members said.

One of the squad members said she felt intimidated by the men. The firefighters also took a backboard from the squad building, members said.

Members said the ambulances are partially owned by the rescue squad and the forcible removal of them on private property amounted to theft.

“The public safety of Lebanon Township is at the most risk of life and property loss that I have ever been aware of,” said township Committeeman Brian Wunder, who resigned his position with the squad about two weeks before the vote.

Wunder said the township attorney still argued that he could not vote on the resolution. Wunder on Saturday said he was virtually kicked out of the meeting.

Squad members said the fire department has only a few trained emergency medical technicians compared to the rescue squad.

Township Mayor Jay Weeks voted for the resolution, along with township Committee members George Piazza and Patricia Shriver.

“The ambulances are in Lebanon Township’s name,” the mayor said. “I’m going to let the lawyers handle this. We’ve been fooling around with this for the past three or four years.”

Shriver said a “go-round” with the rescue squad began a long time ago “when they did not get their books audited, and that’s the law.”

She said the volunteer squad wants to become a paid squad.

“We felt we never wanted to charge our residents even if it gets paid through insurance,” Shriver said.

She said the township fire department has wanted to work with the township for a long time on this.

Attorney Ronald Peles represents the rescue squad and attended Saturday’s meeting.

He said the township committee effectively shut out the public by making the change by resolution instead of an ordinance, which requires a public hearing.

He said he will ask a judge for a temporary restraining order preventing the township committee from continuing to implement the resolution.

Piazza said the township committee will pass an ordinance if they have to.

He said squad members and firefighters all know one another and there was no intimidation or threatening tactics used by the firefighters who removed the ambulances.

“They were just doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” Piazza said.

He said township officials “have always had a problem with the squad leadership, not the members.”

He said the members of the rescue squad are a great group of people and he knows of some who are already willing to join the fire department and continue doing what they’ve always done.

He said the leadership of the 40-member rescue squad “do whatever they please and we have nothing to say.”

“It’s not working properly over there,” he said of the squad. “Over a period of time we lost control of our squad. It’s not a secret. We’ve had arguments at the meetings.”

He said the squad’s leaders took out a loan a few months ago without informing the township committee.

“We were left in the dark,” he said.

Piazza said squad leaders want financial support from the township for ambulances without being accountable to the township.

“They want to be their own little gang over there and it’s just not working,” Piazza said.

Peles said the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office is going to have to take look at the situation.

The rescue squad began operations in 1968.

Township Committeeman Frank Morrison voted against the resolution.

Township Fire Chief Warren Gabriel could not be reached for comment Saturday.

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