HILLSDALE—Hoping to share costs on a daytime paid ambulance service, Hillsdale has proposed a plan to two neighboring Pascack Valley towns — Washington Township and River Vale — that aims to reduce weekday emergency response times to about five minutes, said Mayor Michael Sheinfield.
The proposal, which follows discussions among mayors and administrators, suggests a one-year pilot program that Hillsdale hopes to begin before year’s end. Currently, Hillsdale employs paid EMTs to cover 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. shifts on weekdays, a solution introduced in September 2023 due to a chronic shortage of volunteers. This approach has already cut Hillsdale’s average response time from nearly 15 minutes to five minutes, ambulance personnel reported to the borough council in August.
Collaborative study and initial proposal
Over the summer, Hillsdale, River Vale, and Washington Township jointly funded a $17,400 study by MTP Group of Sparta to assess each town’s ambulance needs and outline a regional, per-diem service model. Old Tappan was initially involved but withdrew early in the process. The study’s findings informed Hillsdale’s three-page proposal, which provides an overview of potential cost-sharing and service benefits but does not yet include details on grant opportunities.
Hillsdale has offered to serve as the lead agency, with ambulance services based in its central location to maximize efficiency. While cost specifics remain undisclosed pending further negotiations, Sheinfield emphasized the importance of shared responsibility.
“It’s a shared service that would save us all a lot of money,” Sheinfield said, adding, “We all came to the table saying this is a problem in all three communities. Ultimately, residents from all three towns will benefit.”
Sheinfield also noted the critical stakes involved: “What price do you put on human life?” he said, underlining the need for quicker response times.
Reactions from neighboring towns
In Washington Township, Mayor Peter Calamari acknowledged the challenges of staffing volunteer ambulance services during daytime hours and expressed appreciation for the efforts of existing volunteers.
“In working with representatives from our volunteer ambulance corps, we are looking into all options to best serve our residents with this vital, lifesaving service during weekday, daytime hours,” Calamari said on Nov. 25. “I thank all our volunteers for the valuable services they provide to the community, day and night.”
The Washington Township council discussed the proposal in a closed session on Nov. 12, but no official decision has been made.
River Vale Administrator and Chief Finance Officer Gennaro Rotella expressed optimism about the shared service plan, calling it a “perfect opportunity” to improve response times and reduce start-up costs.
“Everybody realizes there’s a problem with it (delayed responses), and often callers are waiting a long time,” Rotella said. “We have to do something.” He added that he hoped Washington Township would join the pilot program, making it easier for all three towns to share costs and improve local emergency services.
Rotella also noted the importance of volunteer contributions: “We are appreciative and thankful to all volunteers that commit countless hours to staffing emergency services, including the ambulance service.”
Sheinfield said the proposal remains a “deliberative document” at this stage. If the towns agree on the concept, they plan to apply for grants and other assistance to support the initiative.
“It’s a great experiment for all the towns involved,” Sheinfield said. “Ultimately, residents from all three towns will benefit.”