2023 Fund Drive

Hampton Lakes Emergency Squad is a 501(c)3 non-profit community based organization and the provider of Emergency Basic Life Support Ambulance services to Southampton Township. We are a combination volunteer and career squad, comprised of approximately 50 members answering close to 2,500 calls annually with a fleet of 3 ambulances.

MEDICAL INSURANCE BILLING ​This is our primary method of funding. We utilize a billing practice, known as "soft billing" for residents. This means, we bill your insurance to recoup our costs and do not require payment of your deductible, co-payments, or any other fees from you! DONATIONS We heavily rely upon donations from donors like you for capital expenses. MUNICIPAL SUPPORT ​Southampton Township supports us through various different avenues including covering our fuel costs, allowing us to utilize their worker's compensation insurance, and the purchase of an ambulance in 2022.

Record inflation, a broken funding system, and an all time low number of EMTs across the U.S. Record Inflation and Costs It is no surprise to anyone that the cost of everything has skyrocketed over the past few years. This has put a massive strain on our financial system. Payroll costs have nearly doubled, cost for supplies and equipment continue to rise, the cost and wait time for vehicles is unheard of, and the list goes on and on. With all of this, reimbursement rates from insurance companies (our main source of funding) have stayed stagnant...and low, which brings us to point #2. A Broken Funding Source With our main source of billing from insurance payments, we often find ourselves losing money to provide our service...Yes, you heard us right, over 50% of the calls we answer result in NO payment from insurance companies. You see, insurance companies do not reimburse for anything except a transport to the hospital, but yet each year, we treat hundreds of patients without need for hospitalization. Here are 3 recent examples of where we provided care but weren't reimbursed by Insurance. A diabetic patient whose blood sugar dropped dangerously low. Crews spent over an hour on scene providing care, ensuring that the patient's blood sugar was raised back to a safe level AND that they were in a position to keep it there. NO PAYMENT. A patient in cardiac arrest, where crews attempted lifesaving C.P.R. Crews did what they could and spent time with the family. NO PAYMENT. An elderly patient, who called 9-1-1, scared and confused regarding a medical problem. Crews spent time assessing, educating, and treating the patient for a problem that did not need treatment at the Emergency Department. NO PAYMENT. Additionally, even when providing a reimbursable service (transport to the hospital), we sometimes still aren't reimbursed enough to cover our costs. The biggest case is point here in Medicaid, who reimburses an ambulance transport with $58... I think it goes without saying but that rate doesn't even come close to covering the expenses to provide the service. ​ All Time Low Number of EMTs Across the county, there is a vast shortage of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics. This shortage have many different causes and has been developing for DECADES. It all started with a decline in volunteerism many, many years ago. As volunteerism decreased, agencies (including ourselves) were forced to hire paid personnel to supplement the system and ensure Ambulances were there when you called. Today, the system continues to struggle. There are fewer and fewer EMTs year after year. This is due in part to low pay, poor or no benefits, harsh and long shifts, PTSD and other mental health strains, a tool on the body, and much much more.

Yes, it is! We are registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your charitable contributions or donations to us are tax deductible.

Unfortunately, we cannot. HLES is a 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Services agency that is only able to provide transport to hospital Emergency Departments.

Your support is needed! There are many ways that you can help and all are needed. If you are interesting in donating your time, we have plenty of ways you can service either on the ambulance or administratively. Please message us for more info and schedule a time to meet you! If you want to provide a financial donate or donation of a product or service, we would be thankful for your donation! Monetary donations are tax deductible and can be send to P.O. Box 2009, Southampton Twp., 08088 OR dropped off at 4 Holly Blvd. Alternatively, you can donate directly through our website via the "donate link" on the "support page."

Your Protected Health Information (PHI) secure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This is a federal law that required covered entities to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. You can read more about how we protect your privacy on our "Privacy Practices" page.

We see this ALL THE TIME on social media... The easiest way to find out is to join and be part of the action! For those of you that aren't up to the challenge, you can check out our "Live Dispatch" page to see incidents via PulsePoint and listen to the radio traffic via Broadcastify.

While we cannot always provide an accurate answer to this question, we do have some resources that can help to give you an idea. The Virtua Hospital System has a website that shows you estimated ED wait times. You can check that out at: Additionally, you can check NJ Hospital Divert Status at: https://njdivert.juvare.com/ While these might not always be accurate, they can give you an idea.

9-1-1 should be called for any life threatening emergency including but not limited to: Cardiac Arrest Respiratory Distress Stroke Unconscious Persons Diabetic Problems Falls Severe Bleeding And more. When in doubt, call 9-1-1. You are not required to go to the hospital just because you or someone else called 9-1-1.

Yes. As long as you have legal rights to the access the chart (your own chart, subpoena, etc.) you can request a copy of a chart by completing the request form below or sending the subpoena to Admin@hles178.org.

According to EMS1, “For light-duty chassis ambulances, regardless of if it’s a pick-up truck/module (Type I) a van (Type II) or a van cutaway/module, services frequently replace vehicles at 250,000 miles or five years.” HLES has far exceeded the years requirements on the ambulances pushing upwards of 15-20 years per ambulance service life. Our ambulances have high mileage but fall short of the 250,000 due to the excessive idle time and other mechanical issues creating a high cost of maintenance/repairs.

An EMT is an Emergency Medical Technician. EMTs provide prehospital care at the Basic Life Support (BLS) level from ambulances.

In NJ, EMT training is 240+ hours of coursework including didactic training and psychomotor evaluations. After successful completion of the college level curriculum, students are eligible to sit for the National Registry (NREMT) written test and skill assessments. The following skills and procedures are within the approved scope of practice for an EMT-Basic: 1. Patient assessment, including vital signs and ongoing evaluation; 2. Pulmonary or cardiopulmonary resuscitation and foreign body airway obstruction management; 3. Oxygen administration; 4. Oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway insertion; 5. Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal suctioning; 6. Assessment and management of cardiac, respiratory, diabetic shock, behavioral and heat/cold emergencies, for example, as prescribed within the National Standard Curriculum for EMT-Basics; 7. Emergency treatment for bleeding, burns, poisoning, seizures, soft tissue injuries, chest-abdominal-pelvic injuries, muscle and bone injuries, eye injuries and childbirth (including care of the newborn), as prescribed within the National Standard Curriculum for EMT-Basics; 8. Application of spinal immobilization devices and splinting materials, including traction splints; 9. Basic triage and basic maneuvers to gain access to the patient; 10. Patient lifting and moving techniques; 11. AED utilization; 12. Assisting an EMT-Paramedic, registered nurse or physician; and 13. Assisting a patient to administer drugs previously prescribed for that patient, limited to: i. Prescribed metered dose inhaler; ii. Sublingual nitroglycerin; or iii. Epinephrine auto injector.

Yes. EMTs and Paramedics both provide pre-hospital emergency medical care and work together on calls to produce the best patient outcomes. The difference between an EMT and a Paramedic is within the scope of practice, oversight, and roles. EMTs operate as Basic Life Support (BLS) providers from transport capable ambulances and are members of a municipal, private, or hospital-based system. BLS ambulances with EMTs are dispatched to any 9-1-1 call for emergency medical services. Paramedics operate as Advanced Life Support (ALS) providers and are dispatched in addition to BLS to certain calls of high acuity. In NJ, Paramedics must be hospital based and respond in non-transport capable chase vehicles.

EMS can be a very rewarding career path with many benefits! If you think you'd be interested in getting involved, either as a volunteer or career member, contact us to set up a meeting and learn more about us. We offer and encourage perspective members to participate in our "ride-along" program to get a taste of what we do and see if you enjoy it. Complete the form below and return email it to admin@hles178.org to get scheduled.

Absolutely! We are excited to let you see what we do and allow ride-along members. Interested persons must be 18 years old OR 16 with parental consent and sign a waiver form. Ride along members are NOT permitted to engage in any patient care and will be granted observer status only. Persons may participate in up to 3 ride-alongs.

No. There are 9-1-1 emergency ambulances and non-emergent transport ambulances. Hampton Lakes Emergency Squad only provides 9-1-1 emergency medical services. If you need transport to or from a doctor's appointment, dialysis, rehab, or urgent care you may be transported by a non-emergent transport company depending on your need. This is pre-arranged through your insurance carrier and the transport company.

Providing prehospital emergency medical services requires a team and often additional hands or resources. The New Jersey State Police routinely respond to EMS calls to assist the EMTs and ensure our crews are kept safe. On certain calls, the Fire Department will be dispatched for assistance. This includes: Motor vehicle accidents Cardiac Arrests Landing Zone assignments for Aeromedical Forcible Entry And more.

In emergency services, systems are built with Mutual Aid agreements in place for when additional resources are needed. The need for emergency services, as you can imagine, is very difficult to predict. A town's resources can be quickly depleted when multiple calls for help come in a relatively short period of time. In the case when a town has exhausted it's resources, mutual aid will be requested. Mutual aid is a request for a neighboring town's resources to fulfill the resource requests needed to answer the call. This means that a unit may respond from Tabernacle, Medford, Lumberton, Mount Holly, Pemberton, or even further away. Mutual aid is mutual and we help each other whenever needed.

Aeromedical or "Medivacs" are used for a variety of reasons including trauma patients, burn victims, certain pediatric patients, and more. Most commonly used in rural areas, medical helicopters can ensure patients are transported to the most appropriate facility within a timely manner. This is quite common for trauma victims to ensure they get to definitive care within the "Golden Hour." The golden hour is the period of time immediately after a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical and surgical treatment will prevent death.

This answer isn't always so cut as dry, as it depends. We try to honor all reasonable hospital requests whenever possible but must make sure that the hospital of preference is compatible with the care needed. Some of the factors that may limit the hospitals that we can transport you to include: Trauma Pediatric / OB Capabilities Burn Stroke Centers Cardiac Capabilities Other Specialty Care Hospital Divert Status

No, our policies (the decision is left up to each agency) limit the use of lights and sirens are only reserved for those emergencies that are time sensitive and life threatening. According to the Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Emergency Medical Services Report titled "Lights and Siren Use by Emergency Medical Services (EMS): Above All Do No Harm" published in 2017, the use of lights and sirens only saves an average of 2-3 minutes but increases the risk of motor vehicle accidents.

Cost should never prevent you from calling 9-1-1 for a medical emergency... As a private, not-for-profit organization, we rely heavily upon billing revenue for income, but we do everything possible not to pass along any cost to you. HLES in contracted to serve Southampton Township and federal law allows us to bill your insurance and write off the remainder of your balance (co-payments, deductibles, etc.) since Southampton Township makes "in-kind" contributions to HLES to make up the "uncollected out-of-pocket" costs associated with providing the service. This means that if you are a Southampton Township resident, there is NO COST to you! We will accept what your insurance gives us and move on. For non-residents, your insurance will be billed and you will be responsible for the remaining balance including any co-payments, deductibles, and more. If you have a hardship and cannot pay your bill, please contact our billing company at: AIM Billing 892 New Castle Road Slippery Rock, PA 16057 (724) 794-1222

You will receive an invoice, up to 3, from our billing company. If you are a township resident, this is a statement showing the total charges, insurance payments, and balance. Township residents are NOT responsible for unpaid balances after your insurance has paid. Non-residents are responsible for the unpaid balance of your bill.

If you cannot afford to pay your bill due to lack of insurance or underinsurance and financial hardship, please contact our billing company at: AIM Billing 892 New Castle Road Slippery Rock, PA 16057 (724) 794-1222 We can work with you to set up payment plans or write off your bill due to financial hardships.

We advocate for financial transparency and below are our current charges for service. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ OUR BILLING PAGE AND OTHER BILLING FAQS FIRST TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT AN AMOUNT THAT YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO PAY. Our Fees: BLS Refusal without Assessment, Care, or Transport: $0.00 BLS Assessment / Care with Refusal of Transport: $150.00 BLS Transport - Base Rate: $850.00 BLS Transport - Per Mile: $14.00 Oxygen Administration: These fees are NOT what insurance pays. Insurance payments are based on the Usual and Customary Rates (UCR) for an area. Medicare Medicare reimbursement rates are determined by the Federal Government via a Fee Schedule for each state and region. The Federal Fee Schedule for Medicare in Southern NJ allows for a BLS-Emergency Fee of $438.03 base and $8.02 per mile. Then we subtractor your deductible (if applicable) and the 20% copayment - Which we do not bill for residents. This leaves us with: $438.03 - 20% ($87.606) = $350.424 for the base fee plus $8.02 per mile. Medicare will NOT pay for reimbursement of our supplies (some of which cost hundreds of dollars - AED pads for example). Medicaid Medicaid reimbursement rates are determined in a similar way via a Fee Schedule at the State level. Medicaid in our state has not increased the amount they reimburse providers for emergency calls since 1994. MTANJ pegs this rate at $58 per call, plus $1.50 a mile. The squad, quite literally, loses money on some Medicaid calls after calculating the costs of service including payroll, wear and tear, vehicle maintenance, medical supplies, billing fee, etc. Medicaid will also NOT reimburse for any supplies used. Some of our supplies can cost tens or hundreds of dollars and we do not get that money back

Virtua Health System, in addition to being the area hospital system, also provides Burlington and Camden County with Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICU) more commonly referred to as the Paramedics who provide Advanced Life Support (ALS). The Paramedics are automatically dispatched with the ambulance on any life threatening condition. When the paramedics are a part of your treatment with our ambulance, you will receive a bill only from Virtua. This is due to Federal Law which only allows the "transporting unit" to bill a patient. NJ is one of the few state that separate their ALS (MICU) and BLS (Ambulance) providers. As such, each year we enter into a billing agreement with Virtua where we sign over the billing of ALS patients to them and they pay us a fee while retaining a portion for themselves.

Much of the population believes that vital 9-1-1 EMS services are provided free or included in their local property taxes. This is not the case in MOST places including here in Southampton Township. While EMS services must be at the ready on a 24/7/365 basis, we do not receive funding for being on call, but only when the service is used for transports. We receive funding through billing revenue (insurance payments for TRANSPORTS only), donations, and some help from our local government. We are not directly funded through tax dollars.

HLES offers a variety of public education courses FREE to Southampton Residents as part of our ongoing goal to improve patient outcomes, educate lay persons, and interact with the public. We recommend checking out our Public Education page for the latest class offerings and descriptions. Our classes generally include: - First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, Advanced First Aid - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) including Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use and Choking - Stop the Bleed - First on the Scene - Stroke Recognition - Child and Babysitter Safety - Fall Prevention - Child Passenger Safety (Car Seats) - And much more...

HLES maintains a staff of approximately 10 instructors certified by various entities and to various levels. At a minimum, all of our instructors are recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) as Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructors. Additionally, some members hold Instructor credentials with the following entities: - American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI) - Stop the Bleed (STB) - National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) - New Jersey Division of Fire Safety (DFS)

In 2022, the average cost for a Type III Ambulance is anywhere between $170,000-$300,000. This cost can vary dramatically based upon options, chassis, and other features. Ambulances can be purchased in a few different ways including: New • New chassis and new box • Most Expensive (~$250,000 - $300,000) • Longest Turnaround Time (18 months to 2 years) • Benefit: Custom made and Standard to Fleet Stock Remount • Hybrid new chassis / used box from another agency • Less Expensive (~$175,000 - $250,000) • Shortest Turnaround Time (30-60 days) • No Standardization Custom Remount • Hybrid new chassis / used box from our department (requires a usable box from our department) • Least Expensive (~$110,000 - $150,000) • Medium Turnaround Time (16-20 months) • Standard to Fleet

HLES has 4 ambulances, however usually only 3 are "in-service" while the 4th is utilized as a reserve piece or is undergoing the "remounting" process. To effectively manage a fleet allowing for down-time, preventative maintenance, repairs, etc., the industry standard is to maintain a fleet size of 133%-200% of the units staffed during peak levels. Using this logic, HLES needs to maintain a minimum fleet size of: 2 x 150% = 3 ambulances This will allow for proper vehicle maintenance to reduce costly repairs and extend the life expectancy of the fleet while allowing for the duty truck and a reserve piece to stay in service for additional calls for service or special events.

The annual maintenance cost of an ambulance is between $5,000 and $15,000. As the vehicles age, the amount of maintenance and other needed repairs increase. “For every hour that the vehicle idles, it has accumulated the equivalent of approximately 33 miles (53 km) of driving.” – Ford Fleet Services Our ambulances usually last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles... Imagine your personal vehicle with that many miles plus the wear of tear of constantly idling as discussed above. Our trucks suffer hard wear and tear from the rapid acceleration, heavy breaking, excessive idle time, exposure to harsh conditions, and more.