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TURMOIL IN HACKENSACK
Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order, Rules Transfer of Fire Dept.-
based
EMS to Hackensack University Medical Center Is Illegal
But City Officials Defy Temporary Restraining Order and Plan to Transfer
EMS Tomorrow By Declaring an Emergency
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 from..... Local
2081 Hackensack Professional Firefighters & EMTs
Minutes after Bergen County Superior Court Judge Menelaos W. Toskos
issued a temporary restraining order at 2:30 p.m. today that declares illegal the
City of Hackensack’s plan to transfer fire department-based emergency
medical services to Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack City
officials brazenly told the judge that they will declare an emergency and turn
the service over to the hospital anyway. City officials said by declaring an
emergency, they can give out a contract without following the State law that
calls for the competitive bid process.
The judge issued the TRO on the basis that the City violated a State law
(Local Public Contracts Law, N.J.S.A. 40A : 11-1, et. seq.) that requires
governments to follow a prescribed public bidding and competitive contracting
process when changing services like EMS. Hackensack officials made a deal
with the hospital last February that in exchange for the City Council’s approval
of construction of a new cancer center, Hackensack University Medical Center
would have to take over fire department-based EMS. There was no
competitive bidding process involved.
The TRO request was filed by Local 2081 Hackensack Professional
Firefighters & EMTs, which represents eight EMTs who were scheduled for
termination at the end of their shift this Sunday night. EMS was scheduled to
be transferred
from the Hackensack Fire Dept. to the hospital this Monday. The TRO orders
the City not to transfer EMS.
“This is an outrage. City Manager Steven Lo Iacono, Mayor Michael Melfi and
the City Council have repeatedly ignored vehement opposition by residents to
this EMS plan. Now they are brazenly defying a court order,” said Local 2081
President John Linquito.
It gets worse.
Two hours after the judge issued the TRO, City officials ordered the eight fire
department-based EMTs not to report for their shifts Saturday or Sunday this
weekend.
“Lo Iacono and Melfi are creating their own emergency so they can declare an
emergency and blatantly ignore the judge’s temporary restraining order. What
the judge wouldn’t let in through the front door, they are doing through
the back door,” an angry Linquito said.
“This is not over by a long shot. We will be back in court and seek
sanctions again Lo Iacono, Melfi and the City Council,” Linquito vowed.
Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order, Rules Transfer of Fire Dept.-
based
EMS to Hackensack University Medical Center Is Illegal
But City Officials Defy Temporary Restraining Order and Plan to Transfer
EMS Tomorrow By Declaring an Emergency
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 from..... Local
2081 Hackensack Professional Firefighters & EMTs
Minutes after Bergen County Superior Court Judge Menelaos W. Toskos
issued a temporary restraining order at 2:30 p.m. today that declares illegal the
City of Hackensack’s plan to transfer fire department-based emergency
medical services to Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack City
officials brazenly told the judge that they will declare an emergency and turn
the service over to the hospital anyway. City officials said by declaring an
emergency, they can give out a contract without following the State law that
calls for the competitive bid process.
The judge issued the TRO on the basis that the City violated a State law
(Local Public Contracts Law, N.J.S.A. 40A : 11-1, et. seq.) that requires
governments to follow a prescribed public bidding and competitive contracting
process when changing services like EMS. Hackensack officials made a deal
with the hospital last February that in exchange for the City Council’s approval
of construction of a new cancer center, Hackensack University Medical Center
would have to take over fire department-based EMS. There was no
competitive bidding process involved.
The TRO request was filed by Local 2081 Hackensack Professional
Firefighters & EMTs, which represents eight EMTs who were scheduled for
termination at the end of their shift this Sunday night. EMS was scheduled to
be transferred
from the Hackensack Fire Dept. to the hospital this Monday. The TRO orders
the City not to transfer EMS.
“This is an outrage. City Manager Steven Lo Iacono, Mayor Michael Melfi and
the City Council have repeatedly ignored vehement opposition by residents to
this EMS plan. Now they are brazenly defying a court order,” said Local 2081
President John Linquito.
It gets worse.
Two hours after the judge issued the TRO, City officials ordered the eight fire
department-based EMTs not to report for their shifts Saturday or Sunday this
weekend.
“Lo Iacono and Melfi are creating their own emergency so they can declare an
emergency and blatantly ignore the judge’s temporary restraining order. What
the judge wouldn’t let in through the front door, they are doing through
the back door,” an angry Linquito said.
“This is not over by a long shot. We will be back in court and seek
sanctions again Lo Iacono, Melfi and the City Council,” Linquito vowed.