FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Branchburg Rescue Squad is a volunteer organization that provides basic life support (BLS) and rescue services. 

All patient care is performed by fully qualified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), who are licensed by the NJ Department of Health. This is the same level of care provide by any Basic Life Support agency in New Jersey.

All of our members are volunteers and we rely solely on contributions from the local municipal government and the residences and businesses in our coverage area to raise the funds that we need to operate.  Branchburg Rescue Squad does not bill for any of the services we render.  

Why then, would you receive a bill?

Reason #1: Advanced life support (ALS) services were rendered by one of the hospital-based medic units.  Certain types of emergencies necessitate evaluation and/or treatment by the paramedics.  The paramedic units are dispatched in conjunction with the Squad, and if the situation warrants, will evaluate and/or treat the patient.  Robert Wood Johnson Mobile Health and Hunterdon Medical Center operate the two primary paramedic units that serve Branchburg Township. All Advanced Life Support agencies bill for their services.

Reason #2:  You were served by one of the mutual aid squads that bill for their services.  Several of the BLS agencies located in the surrounding communities bill for their services.  Additionally, Robert Wood Johnson Mobile Health Services operates several BLS units.  There are several reasons why services from a mutual aid squad would be required:

• If the Branchburg Rescue Squad is responding to an emergency call when additional services are requested, the next available squad will be dispatched to render aid.  Typically, this will be the squad from the neighboring community that is closest to your residence.
  

• The Branchburg Rescue Squad runs scheduled duty crews 24 hours a day Fridays through Mondays, and from 6pm to 6am Tuesdays through Thursdays. Due to staffing constraints, we have contracted with a career BLS agency to cover the Township from 6am to 6pm Tuesdays through Thursdays. This arrangement ensures that care is provided to the residents of our community as fast as possible.  The current contractor is Robert Wood Johnson Mobile Health Services, however any contractor that would be available for this coverage would charge for their services.

In all cases, the providers who bill for their services should bill your medical insurance.  If you have medical insurance and receive a bill, contact the agency that rendered care so that they can obtain the necessary information to submit the bill to your insurance carrier.