By Madeleine Mathias
Morning Call
FORK TWP. — The Forks Township Emergency Squad, which for 15 months has been fighting for survival, faces another battle tonight as supervisors will determine whether to essentially put it out of business by keeping them from responding to 911 calls.
Since reopening in April 2007 after being shut down for eight months, the EMS has been embroiled in almost a monthly battle with the board of supervisors over its financial status.
William Keifer Jr., EMS president, has been criticized for not making monthly payments on time to Suburban EMS, which provides advanced life support to the township.
Barry Albertson of Suburban said the only way Forks EMS keeps up with the monthly payment schedule is if he brings up the late payment at the Forks supervisors meetings.
The arrangement between the two ambulance units has been a source of contention at the last couple of supervisors meetings.
Forks EMS answers calls through 911 and if advanced services are needed, Suburban will send a unit also. Forks, however, bills recipients for the services, sending a payment to Suburban when insurance money is received.
The latest dispute arose when Suburban said Forks did not make its June 15 payment, which would have included funds for Suburban services as well as a required $1,650 payment on the debt owed Suburban since April 2007.
Albertson said Keifer did call and say the payment would be late. However, by the July 3 supervisors meeting, Suburban had notified Forks the payment agreement was ended.
On Wednesday, Albertson agreed Forks has paid its June payment as well as the one due July 15. But he said that his own board may not be willing to approve another payment agreement. “My board is very concerned if they fall behind,” he said.
Another problem that has plagued Forks EMS is that the township has included $20,000 in its 2007 and 2008 budget for the squad, but the supervisors have not followed through with payment.
Keifer has asked for that money, saying it will help the squad over the slow summer until it get returns from its annual subscription drive, which starts in a few weeks.
Bill Schrack, Forks EMS coordinator/supervisor, said the supervisors could “drastically hurt us” if they withdraw permission to respond to 911 calls.
But, he said, the company is still licensed and will still have its transport business, as well as an agreement to handle ambulance service in Stockertown and a mutual aid agreement with Easton.
He Forks deserves credit for reducing its $30,000 debt to Suburban to about $13,000.