By MEGHAN VAN DYK • STAFF WRITER • March 10, 2010
MOUNT OLIVE -- Township clerk Lisa Lashway has certified a petition that could lead to a ballot initiative asking voters if they want Mount Olive to contract emergency medical services with the Budd Lake and Flanders first aid squads on weeknights and weekends through 2014.
Lashway on Monday certified that the petition submitted Feb. 16 from residents Kevin Dolan, Andrew Forst, Phyllis Gentile, Kenneth Taylor and Barbara Swasey contained the minimum 1,099 signatures required under state statute.
"We are hoping the mayor will recognize the value of the squads and do what needs to be done -- to keep the volunteer first aid squads on as primary responders in their current capacity,'' said Gentile, a past president of the Budd Lake first aid squad. "That is what the public wants.''
The initiative is in response to Mayor David Scapicchio's plan to contract with a paid ambulance service around the clock and to keep the volunteers on in a lesser capacity. Atlantic Ambulance currently provides only weekday, daytime service.
Scapicchio has terminated the volunteer rescue squads' funding effective April 30 and has asked them to come up with a new budget that reflects his new plan.
The council will take action on the ordinance at its next meeting on March 16. If the ordinance is not adopted, it could be put to residents in a special election.
