On January 31, 2020 OCSN was made aware that Lanoka Harbor EMS had been assessed a total of $617,000 in fines following an anonymous tip and investigation by the NJ Department of Health: Office Of Emergency Medical Services.
An audit that started in June 2019 states that Lanoka Harbor EMS (LHEMS) was at that time only licensed to operate 2x BLS Vehicles (#268, #269), while in fact over a timespan of 76 days they operated an additional 4x Unlicensed BLS vehicles (#260, #265, #266 and #267) resulting in $76,000 in fines for operating unlicensed BLS vehicles and using them to respond to patient calls.
Further investigation found that there in s one year period, (June 1st, 2018 – June 1st, 2019) there were 541 incidents where LHEMS responded without proper personnel, and in fact there were more than 200 instances where LHEMS responded to incidents with no certified personnel on-board. These incidents resulted in an additional $541,000 in fines.
The document from the New Jersey Department of Health Office of Emergency Medical Services states that LHEMS has 30 days to request a hearing from the Office of Administrative Law and that if they fail to do so, the notice shall be rendered final 30 days after it was sent and that the entire $617,000.00 shall be rendered due immediately.
Barbara
Maybe they should just shut down and people can just drive themselves to the hospital.
Bry Pino if they are using illegal ambulances and untrained people then you may be better off. WE have to go to school and continue education yearly to keep up with the medical and pharmaceutical changes because their are times we are the difference between life and death.. You want someone untrained taking care if you in an emergency? I would hope not.
Angel Helene Cooper don’t make it sound like they are picking up homeless people from the street to run ambulances and treat patients. I’d love to see the training issues they are talking about. I bet 99% are nonsense
Bry Pino I didn’t make it seem like anything. They ran ambulances with people who did not have legit EMT status. I know many people that are and have been on that squad as I am an EMT for 32 years. Its NEVER “nonsense” to allow someone who is not a legal EMT to treat patients.
Angel Helene Cooper so here’s a thought…. pay them…
Probably another Narcan patient that sued for being saved.
stupid
Scott Therrien what a stupid stupid statement get over yourself
Scott Therrien agreed
Umm they were unlicensed and performing medical care on people….. I’m sure youd be on with any random person just doing CPR on one of your family members, they don’t need to know what they are doing right!?
Scott Therrien What does this have to do with LHEMS using unlicensed BLS Vehicles and staffing with non certified personnel?
Scott Therrien so ignorant. You should be embarrassed
Ocean County Scanner News because they were probably looked into when being sued and found the staff didnt have certified staff.
Angel Helene Cooper because I could careless about people that OD?
I think the guy just had a meme he was dying to use and didn’t even read the article. Is ignorance a disease?
Scott Therrien that’s a bit of a stretch… this has nothing to do with narcan and everything to do with lack of training/licensing
Samuel Ross well stop boting Democrat and maybe there would be more funding to pay for things like their vehicles and getting people certified.
Brian Wright
Deanna Wall Kelly Provenzano
Robert Geyer
Mike Boyer that’s a shame sounds like someone dropped the ball. They were great every time we needed them for Granny!
Are they paid or volunteer. Seems like a stiff fine.
Sharon Hoefling Anderson they’re volunteer.
Kayla Pace Oh no. Someone dropped the ball. It’s hard enough to keep a volunteer group running without the fines.
Kayla Pace…, wrong they have paid staff
Does it matter? They knew they were in the wrong and did it anyway.
And the taxpayers will have to foot the bill unfortunately
Brian
Richard Frey
What did that prove? Now no EMS . PATIENTS WILL SUFFER NOT THE GROUP!
Joyce Burroughs Megill a lot was proven
I guess you dont feel like EMS should keep up with their training!? Let’s just let anyone drive an ambulance and perform medical care. Who needs to know what they are doing to do that, right!?
Joyce Burroughs Megill are you kidding? The “group”? You are defending them sending out unqualified uncertified staff to tend to emergencies in an illegal vehicle? This has to be joking
Someone needs to be fired. Toni what is this?
Jack Shafto Jr should they take their pension and vacation time away also?
Harry Rey if this was done purposely
Jack Shafto Jr okay now the magic question how do you take something away from someone that they don’t even have?
They are Vollies they don’t get paid, they don’t have pensions and they don’t have vacation or sick time. Can’t fire, or take something away from the person’s job because their career is in the private entity
Harry Rey then don’t ask stupid questions
Harry Rey they can be fired or removed. They should never be allowed in the industry again
Jack Shafto Jr can’t be fired from a Vollie job
Reason I ask questions like that is to prove people don’t read articles, but make assumptions
Harry Rey so volunteers are excluded from laws and regulations? Good to know
Harry Rey someone broke the laws and regulations. Yes I read it. Too many vehicles and didn’t even run vehicles with appropriate staff. You make no sense
Harry Rey didn’t know volunteers got a pension and vacation days
Harry Rey like the assumption you’re making that our volunteers don’t have a pension? It’s called losap, funded by the town yearly.
I am guessing none if these commenters are EMTs and would all be ok if their mom had a heart attack they would be ok with people who were not EMTs showing up and treating her. ????
Deidra Henry nope I don’t even buy generic condiments. They make laws for a reason and people like you justifying breaking laws are what’s wrong with this country
Jack Shafto Jr you should try rereading. I didn’t justify shit. This squad is 100 percent wrong. They treated people without the proper credentials and its dangerous . its not ok and people on this site thinking because they are vollys it should be ok have no idea what harm could have come. Maybe you should reevaluate what’s wrong with this country. I think its ignorance
Deidra Henry yes you did. You said people would be ok with non certified people treating people. NO that’s not ok. You are wrong. Rules and laws are written to protect people. When the ambulance shows up you would expect trained certified people to be in it.
Jack Shafto Jr, dude, reread her comment & do it slowly. You will see she agrees with you numbnuts
Michael Howlett sorry I don’t speak 609.
You’re an idiot.
Michael Howlett blow me
Nice comeback moron, you cant even talk proper shit. Log off the interwebs also. You’re an idiot.
So there were no certified EMT’s on board & yet they responded to calls & treated ppl? Wow!!!
Denise Pegg that is not what they’re saying.
Kayla Pace yes it is
Kayla Pace what’s that mean
she gone. Lol
Denise Pegg 10 bucks says that person ended up just fine.
Andrew Joseph
Who gets that money
The state
Wendy Schoch-Reich ????????????♀️
SMH…
Wow not comforting to live here & know that.
Chris Carrieri ????
Lea Ferris from what I understand it has to do with some state requirements regarding being able to bill. It really is a great, competent squad.
????
Angel Helene Cooper I hope your never accused of anything….guilty before proven innocent on social media is how we roll these days from the keyboard warriors of America.
William Joes so I have been an EMT for 32 years. I have always been up to date on all my certifying necessities. I would never put my hands on an emergency patient otherwise. There is no innocent here. This investigation was ongoing and extremely thorough for the last NINE months. Everything was gone through completely. I am FAR from a keyboard warrior. And I know several members over many years from LHFAS. Since you are so passionate here What is YOUR experience with this please?
Angel Helene Cooper I’m glad you know how through the investigation was since it covered only a handful of pages and lacked sufficient information. Based on LHEMS they only have 3 ambulances which means where are the other fines coming from ? The first responder or “Chiefs” vehicles are not required under NJ law to staff with 2 EMT’s unless transporting, which clearly would be done by one of the three ambulances yet they were fined…
my husband was on that squad and there were non-emts put in a position to do emt duties. I don’t care what people say about the Chiefs vehicles, the fact they allowed ambulances to run without a legally certified emt even on board is irresponsible and dangerous. And they did in fact do that on many occasions. I understand it’s hard to get volunteers to cover all hours. I also understand it doesn’t look good when they have to call for mutual aid as it lessens their call numbers and their money but you don’t send a rig to an emergency without emts on it and they did many times
Sharon Werth and when did this occur? What year was your husband a part of this organization?
William Joes obviously you feel for some reason that you are entitled to peoples private information. You aren’t I’m not giving you his details. They are none of your business. He had no responsibility in any of this. I didn’t name those responsible for the same reason. Dig somewhere else.
I know your husband Sharon. I have worked with him. You owe no explanations of his details to a rando on facebook. There is never an excuse to run a bus that has no legal EMTs on it and they did it often. That’s fact
I don’t know her husband but I agree that some dude puffing on Facebook is definitely not entitled to any of his information
Sharon Werth I’m not trying to pry but I’m asking how long a go he was a member there, that’s not asking for private info it’s just inquiring. I think how it’s funny that everyone points to blame but doesn’t care to actually do their own research or wait to here the other side of people’s stories including this organizations
Deidra Henry how do you know they were running with no EMTs? Maybe we as a society need to stop taking one sided stories and instead hear from everyone before we formulate an opinion. Maybe the truth lies in the middle. Last I checked your innocent until proven guilty not the other way around. That seems to be a reoccurring thing these days.
Whoever is in charge has some explaining an to do
Brooke Fay Gianna Fay
And can the people that were billed by them for emergency vehicle rides seek refunds for untrained personnel and unlicensed.vehicle…asking for a friend.
John Henry Collins That’s gonna open a can of worms…
John Henry Collins Take up with your insurance
Ill tell my friend that ..Thanks …I think they need both private company and the volunteers ..trouble is old equipment has to be retired in the towns where a private company can maintain it and keep using it..and people work and are not always available on weekends or holiday..or nights ..but they should always keep a volunteer squad .
Carol Smith
Well folks be prepared for another big tax hike in town
Peter Destefano they’re volunteer.
Jason Prescott which means taxpayer supported.
Was just thinking they are volunteer which means we the taxpayers are going to pay for this.
YEP
Jason Prescott haha the jokes on all of us volunteers or not you still pay taxes for their service
EMS is big business. They are shutting down volunteer squads all over. Follow the money.
Yup, big money… That’s why MONOC is disbanding and closing shop. https://ocscanner.news/2020/01/23/monoc-ems-to-disband-and-shut-down/
theres one locally idr what town but it hasnt responded to an ems call in over a year and its still open, collecting money for their branch
Sean O’Sullivan 100% Spot on
Needs to be a paid entity. Volunteers can’t afford to do this. It’s not easy to volunteer and hold a job making a living.
S Joelene Smith And okay for your training out if your own pocket
Beth Lane You mean would I want my taxes to go up to have paid services Fire, EMS ect?
Beth Lane what do you mean training out of own pocket? Volunteers don’t pay for their training
The have always been great to our family member.
Wow
They are volunteers don’t get paid it would make to much sense to pay them
Mike Cannito
Who is the head of the Lanoka ems?
Bruce Halliday
S Joelene Smith who were 2019?
Bruce Halliday Can’t find it, found 2018 thou
John
Maybe this points to a larger systemic problem such as lack of volunteers?
Kim Kirk-Ces Exactly
Still doesn’t give them the right to send unlicensed BLS rigs and untrained staff. They can not go on a call and should not take a call if they don’t have proper staff available. This is going to cost the taxpayers money. Also, if you have to call for help, you don’t expect non trained or certified personnel to show up.
Kim Kirk-Ces Probably yes.
Terry Stesney true
Terry Stesney Agree
Most likely however we have a mutual aid system. If they cant cover a call due to lack of vollys then you have bayville or lacey or a surrounding town cover the call.
This is 2020.Gone are the days of the clubhouse Vollys.If the Volly can get away with this, watch for alot of Paid EMS find a loop hole to get the same treatment.This is not Paid vs Professional this is the quality and safety of the service provided to the patients
Too bad they couldn’t put that money they fined them to good use helping people and fixing up their own issues
Sad????
Paige Gabriella
Don’t they have particular officers who are voted in and wouldn’t it be their responsibility to know this? I have the utmost respect for volunteers but something is wrong with this whole thing.
Suzan Soydan Feldman
S Joelene Smith glad I moved all the way to forked tiver
They should be paid
Hope they don’t cut their salary to pay for this. Giggle
La oka Harbor ems wasn’t fined a penny, the tax payers of Lacey twp. and those who donate were fined. I don’t see anywhere where anybody did anything to straighten out anything, don’t see where the state offered training…..all I see is a money grab. And where is that $%$$ going, perhaps to help pay the needy city (lakewood) paid squads ?
Charles Cron training? We in this field know the laws. What training?
Well something fell through the cracks and rather than fixing the problems the state sees “free money” to be taken from the taxpayers in Lacey. Make no mistake they don’t care who suffers here in town, they just want to gather cash to put into their pocket
Innocent Squd probably just trying to do their best. It’s probably fake news, people like Angel would rather spread disinformation and defame an organization then wait til they can even speak. She’s probably involved or started this.
Jessica Mantosz We reported on a document issued by the state. There is nothing fake about it. You can view it on the state website if you wish. That being said, Lanoka EMS promised us a statement more than a few hours ago, we will post it as soon as they send it to us.
Jessica Mantosz thats incredibly ignorant. This info is FACT you making accusations against people is FAKE. I’m an an EMT for 32 years in this area. Please don’t pretend you know better than the authorities. This has been an investigation for almost NINE months. It was thoroughly gone through
Jessica Montosz, you are dumb & what is wrong with society. Log off the interwebs now, learn some common sense then log back in.
How many lives did they save?
Dave are the EMS guys reporting this post on your page as well?
they need a private company and the volunteers ….
Bill Donna
Chris Ryan doh
Did someone do something on purpose? Seems strange and fishy – wondering who this anonymous tip was that had ALL of this information
Shut them down, let monoc take over ????
Dylan LaCugna yea…. they close shop April 1. We all got our “pink slips” from Monoc.
Brian Culver-Grossmith yes, I know.
Consolidate emergency services.
WOW! What is going on in Lacey Township?
Curious how many of those calls would have resulted in death had they not responded?!
William Wojcik
I guess they thought they were above the law
Hahahahaha!!!
Not good poor management sending prayers there way theylle get it in order
Thank you for volunteering, now pay up! Sickening the way this state is going… don’t fix the problem, take away the money needed to do that! Smh
Peter Michael Clausen IV that’s not true. This is NOT the states fault . they know the laws and chose to break them
And for the record I as an EMT volunteered bayville and ocean gate and several other towns. I would never touch a patient if I didn’t have legal certs on an ambulance paid or volly. If they dont have enough crews you call mutual aid
State has regulations and there are many training courses its tough class for emts.
Does the squad have $600k+ to pay the fines? Will the squad be folding and covered by Lacey’s Paid EMS?
How is this even possible?? Waive the fines and fix the problems!!!
Help with funding and make sure the squad is running correctly, come on town council
Investigate Lakewood next!!
Maybe we should wait to hear the squads side of things before we crucify them….just saying. Not picking sides but the towns people should hear both sides before lighting the torches.
the investigation went on over 8 months. There is no side.. There were times no certified emts were even on their ambulances during emergency. I wouldn’t want someone unlicensed during my medical emergency
Deidra Henry if They had 600,000 they could pay the people
Deidra Henry who’s responsible for allowing Civilians ride on emergency call’s without the correct certifications
Deidra Henry an investigation means nothing! Just look at what our president haa endured for over 3 years now! If we went by “investigations” things would be different! It sounds like they’re guilty but why not wait for the FACTS??
Whackers
Waive fines?
This is healthcare!
Would fines be waived for a hospital? Not likely.
So they are obviously having financial problems and so they fine them, this outrageous amount.
Volunteer EMS care is far superior to paid EMS – experiences both….
After paying that fine they will be even more understaffed
Sounds like the perfect time to fundraise for the volunteers who have dedicated their time to keep us all safe and alive!!
John Beard
Im not a certified walmart cashier but everytime i go in I have to ring my own shit up… haven’t killed anyone yet either
I guess they felt the need to try to help for free but it was not a good idea. Wonder how many lives were saved by running the calls
Not surprised. Some folks believe they are above the law!!!!!
Holy crap! ????
Did ANY of the calls result in a negative outcome??
There must be some mistake or error, oversight.