By Stephanie Loder
nj.com
TABERNACLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Tabernacle Township residents are enraged that officials want to disband the rescue squad later this year to become part of a shared services agreement with two neighboring Burlington County communities.
“What empty-headed, vagrant, negligent decision resulted in this?” a resident yelled out during Monday night’s Tabernacle Township Committee meeting, recorded on video by 6ABC News.
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The township is eyeing a shared services agreement with neighboring Lumberton and Southampton townships.
The Tabernacle Rescue Squad would cease operations in November.
NJ Advance reached out on Tuesday to Tabernacle Mayor Joseph Barton.
Supporters of the local rescue squad packed the Tabernacle firehouse building on Monday night and the bay doors had to be raised to accommodate everyone, 6ABC reported.
Residents were angered by the plan, according to the 6ABC report.
“They are putting lives in danger,” said Elaine Nau of Tabernacle Township.
“I think there has to be a better solution to this,” added Barbara Baldwin, also of Tabernacle Township.
The Tabernacle Rescue Squad posted on its website that it had little notice before being handed a termination agreement.
The notice came an hour before a special township meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. that same evening, rescue squad officials said in the post.
Tabernacle Rescue Squad Chief George Jackson III also posted a letter on social media on Monday night after the township meeting, thanking residents for their support.
“The township committee received your message LOUD and clear,” Jackson said in the letter.
Jackson said the township has agreed to meet with the rescue squad members.
“While many in our community hoped the committee would rescind our termination last night, they ultimately decided against it. We still view this meeting as a positive step forward even while our termination timeline remains,“ Jackson wrote.
“We look forward to working with the township to create a plan that provides the service our community needs while maintaining the local feel you’ve come to expect,” he wrote.
Jackson said he would keep residents updated as the discussion moves forward between the township and rescue squad.
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