Toms River Mayor Orders Halt To Calling Silverton EMS To Emergencies

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River Township has halted dispatching emergency medical calls to Silverton EMS effective immediately for what Mayor Daniel Rodrick alleges are "potentially criminal financial irregularities."

Silverton EMS posted the letter, from Toms River Police Chief Mitch Little to Brian Kubiel, the Toms River Fire District 1 administrator, on its social media Monday evening, calling the shutdown "vindictive."

"As the department head of the police department and EMS program, I have been instructed by Mayor Rodrick to draft this letter concerning the dispatching of non-TR Volunteer First Aid Squads, specifically Silverton EMS," the letter said. "Please notify the Fire Dispatchers that effective immediately, Silverton EMS will no longer be dispatched to calls for service."

"We’ve been advised by legal counsel that financial irregularities associated with Silverton EMS are potentially criminal, and the matter is being referred to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office," Rodrick wrote in a statement issued by email on Tuesday.

"Given what we have learned, I had no choice but to take swift action," Rodrick wrote.

Rodrick said the township has hired 18 EMTs and the town "put several additional ambulances on the road," Rodrick said. Information obtained by Patch through an Open Public Records Act request show nine new community service officers — the technical term for EMTS — had been hired as of July 15. Rodrick said nine more are in the process of finalizing paperwork and background checks.

"Police Chief Mitch Little and EMS Supervisor Kevin Monaghan have assured me the recent increase in staff and ambulances will prevent any interruption in Emergency Medical Services. We will update the community as the investigation unfolds," Rodrick said.

"We welcome any investigation from any agency at the county state, or federal level," Kevin Geoghegan, business administrator for Silverton EMS, said in response. "We're here. I'm here."

"We do not comment on the existence or non-existence of criminal investigations," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Silverton EMS has served the Silverton section of Toms River for 60 years and answers about 3,300 calls per year.

"Silverton EMS is a 501(c)3 and remains compliant with all IRS reporting, including a complete audit of our books which was conducted last year," an update on the squad's Facebook page said Tuesday evening. "An audit that revealed no irregularities!"

Geoghegan was the Toms River Township Council president in 2023 and part of the Hill slate elected in 2019 following a bitter Republican primary between Hill, Rodrick and Joseph Coronato. Rodrick and his council slate then defeated Hill and his slate in 2023 in another bitter primary.

Geoghegan ran in the primary this spring to fill the Ward 2 council seat that Rodrick vacated when he became mayor. Geoghegan lost to William Byrne, Rodrick's handpicked candidate, in the June 4 primary.

Geoghegan sought to have Byrne removed from the primary ballot, saying Byrne failed to change his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in time for the primary, and also sought to have the candidate petition invalidated, but a judge rejected Geoghegan's arguments.

There have been squabbles between the town and the squad on and off over money.

In December 2018, then-Mayor Thomas H. Kelaher notified Silverton residents that the town would provide township ambulances operated by township employees because Silverton EMS was no longer splitting funds it received from billing patients' insurance 50-50 with the township. Money paid to the squads was split with the township "in return in return for the township's expenditure for costs and operations of the squads such as fuel, maintenance and supplies," township officials said at the time.

That agreement with Silverton EMS expired in late 2016. Toms River has a similar agreement with Pleasant Plains First Aid, and had one with East Dover First Aid, though East Dover First Aid has not answered a call since sometime in 2021.

Geoghegan said the squad receives fuel from the township "as we have for 30 years."

Silverton EMS, which is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, pays its EMTs. Geoghegan said in an era where people volunteering for first aid squads and fire companies is dwindling, the decision to pay EMTs was made to ensure they could provide service. Paid employees are permitted for 501(c)(3) organizations.

Until the shutdown on Monday, Silverton EMS "maintained a crew of (paid) EMT's 24/7 for approximately 12 years," the update Tuesday night said. "Often as weather dictates, or staffing of the Toms River Township EMT's fluctuates, we have added additional crews as needed, to support our local community and the entire Township."

The squad "does bill medical insurance," the update said.

"The amount we bill is set by the Township Ordinance and is identical to what is billed by the Township's EMS program. To operate in this manner is commonplace in most towns throughout NJ. We follow the same billing model as the Township, where we accept what insurance pays. Township residents are not billed for any balance," the squad's update said. "Our entire operation is supported through this. We do not have the luxury of using tax dollars to supplement our operation."

Note: This article has been updated with additional comment from Silverton EMS.