South Jersey emergency rescue squad in danger of shutting down after more than 70 years of service
After more than 70 years in service, an emergency rescue squad in South Jersey is in danger of shutting down.
The Tabernacle Rescue Squad serves Tabernacle, Shamong and Woodland Townships in Burlington County.
Across Tabernacle Township, signs are popping up showing support for the Tabernacle Rescue Squad. Ruth Hornickel said she doesn't want the township to pull the plug on the ambulance service.
"It's frightening, it really is," Hornickel said.
Hornickel said she was at a crowded and at times contentious council meeting Monday night, where many neighbors voiced objections to a possible closure.
"The biggest concerns are that the people quite possibly could die because they're waiting on another town to respond to an emergency," Hornickel said.
"It was a very passionate meeting with a lot of people speaking out," George Jackson, the chief of the Tabernacle Rescue Squad, said.
Last month, Jackson said he was told the township would be terminating the squad's contract in 90 days and evicting the 30 members from their building.
Jackson believes part of the problem stems from when the squad transitioned from a volunteer organization to a hybrid paid-staffing/volunteer model at the beginning of the year. He admits that about 30% of emergency calls were missed.
"When we first started, we struggled," he said. "It was higher, but as we worked to onboard more people and get our service to where it should be, those numbers have improved."
CBS News Philadelphia reached out to township officials but never heard back.
Jackson said Tabernacle now plans to enter into a shared services agreement with neighboring townships, but nothing has been finalized. He said another meeting has been scheduled for next week, and he is holding onto hope that the rescue squad can still be saved.
"The town doesn't want to lose that, that's a big part of our community," he said.
Right now, the rescue squad is scheduled to shut down on Nov. 9.