Tri-Boro EMS Puts in $4.2M Bid as Only Provider for Seaside Heights Emergency Services

A $4.2 million bid from Tri-Boro First Aid Squad stands alone in the race to run medical services for three beach towns. The squad aims to serve Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, and South Seaside Park. Their bid comes at a time when the current provider faces a cash crunch.

"Four organizations had gotten applications, and we thought they would put bids in, but we received one back," said Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz, according to Shore Beat.

The five-year plan sets costs at $800,000 yearly through year three. Payments would rise to $900,000 for the final two years. Most calls, about 70%, come from Seaside Heights.

Towns can't give more than $125,000 each year to EMS groups by law. This cap strains Tri-Boro's mix of paid staff and volunteers.

The ball now sits in the towns' court. Vaz put it plainly: "We put the bid out with Seaside Park and Berkeley, we recognize that we have to have a first aid squad, and now it will be up to those towns say, 'we'll go in with you.'"

Should talks break down, Seaside Heights must find another path. The mainland hospital's medics won't work: beach traffic means they can't meet the crucial 7-minute response time for critical cases.

No other companies stepped up to bid. Making EMTs town workers could fix things, but costs would soar. Vaz admits the price tag stings: "Do we like paying that kind of money? No. But it's justifiable because of the way that it's run."

The past decade saw volunteer ranks thin out fast. Strict rules about training and staff have pushed helpers away. Many local units closed shop: Dover-Brick Beach EMS, Ortley Beach EMS, and every volunteer group in Brick Township shut their doors.

Money woes keep piling up. Insurance pays pennies on the dollar, while uninsured patients mean zero income. On the whole barrier island, just one all-volunteer squad remains: Lavallette's team still holds out.