Seaside Park Signs Agreement To Retain Tri-Boro EMS Service, Partner With Neighbors

Ambulances from Tri-Boro First Aid. (Photo: Tri-Boro First Aid Squad/Facebook)

Seaside Park officials last week approved an agreement to enter into a pact with Seaside Heights and Berkeley Township to continue EMS coverage from Tri-Boro First Aid. The entrance into the shared services agreement came after questions arose as to whether the arrangement between the towns would come to fruition, with Seaside Heights having introduced an ordinance to form its own paid squad as a “plan B.”

The original plan – to have the three towns share the cost of Tri-Boro’s services – appears to be the solution after all following the approval of the agreement. Tri-Boro, last year, notified the three communities that it was experiencing financial difficulties and would not be able to continue operating under the status quo. The news came in August, leaving the towns with several options, including dissolving Tri-Boro and forming a new full-time paid EMS squad or contracting with a private firm that would provide on-call EMTs. Ultimately, a third option emerged after Seaside Heights solicited proposals for EMS services: Tri-Boro would, itself, become that provider and be funded by the three towns. Ultimately, Tri-Boro was the sole organization to submit a bid.

Tri-Boro’s multi-year proposal called for $4.2 million divided between the three communities, in which each would be charged a share of the $800,000 annual cost for the first three years, and $900,000 annually for the final two years, which would be optional. Mayor John Peterson said Seaside Park’s share of the cost would amount to approximately 23 percent, or $160,000 annually based on the $800,000 total.

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“The shared services has an apportionment of costs and expenses, roughly based on the actual calls and utilization of services between the three towns,” he said.

The Tri-Boro First Aid building on J Street in Seaside Park. (Photo: Tri-Boro First Aid)

Tri-Boro will continue to be based out of its current headquarters on J Street in Seaside Park. Peterson said the borough is continuing to discussions to potentially take ownership of the Tri-Boro building, which was first conveyed to the squad in 1966. The deed contained a reverter clause that would return it to borough ownership if the squad ceased using it for first aid purposes, and there have since been mortgages taken out on the building. Due to legal confidentiality, the details of negotiations between the borough and the squad have been discussed in closed session meetings. But regardless of the outcome of those negotiations, Tri-Boro will continue to operate from its long-time home.