twin W.jpg

File photo: The Twin "W" First Aid Squad building on Everett Drive in West Windsor. (Christina Izzo)

WEST WINDSOR — West Windsor's Twin "W" Rescue Squad was shut down Tuesday night after a memorandum of understanding between it and the township went unsigned, officials said.

"There's been problems, and for the safety of the residents, it's time to move on to a new chapter," Council Vice President Linda Geevers said. "We needed to proceed in a different direction."

The deadline for the volunteer squad to sign the agreement was March 16. Former Squad Chief Pat Tedesco said the group was ready to sign the document Tuesday night, but the township gave the squad a two-hour notice before shutting it down.

"We didn't even have a chance to comment on it. They pretty much gave us a take-it-or-leave-it stance," Tedesco said. "We were just waiting for our legal representation before signing it. They pretty much back pedaled."

In the squad's absence, the township will hire additional emergency services staff, and unpaid volunteers are welcome to join, Geevers said.

"All of this will have to be discussed and worked out, and I want to see a positive result," Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said. "We will still continue to make sure our township professionals address whatever crises come up."

West Windsor already provides EMS services through its emergency services division, which currently has a dozen township employees, director James Yates said. The division provides coverage from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends.

"We made adjustments in the budget to reflect this change," Geevers said of the anticipated hires. "The majority of the additional costs will be covered through additional revenues."

The Twin "W" squad, established in 1972, had about 20 members volunteering as emergency medical technicians. The squad owns the Everett Drive building and property, while the township owns all of its emergency vehicles with the exception of one, Yates said.

Both parties had been working for about a year to negotiate the terms of the agreement and amend the document so all were satisfied with its language, business administrator Marlena Schmid.

As a result of a 2012 "FurBQ" party attended by guests dressed in animal costumes at the squad building, the township entered into a memorandum of understanding with the squad to put the terms and conditions of their relationship in writing, Yates said.

The party, which drew a visit from the police, sparked criticism from township officials after a couple openly engaged in unseemly behavior during the event and too many people crowded the property.

The first memorandum was signed April 29, 2013, Schmid said.

"There has been an MOU in place, but we found it not to be working," she said.

Following the issues with the barbecue, there was also a personnel matter that arose with one of the squad members, said Yates, who declined to elaborate due to confidentiality.

Tedesco said the squad will look into different ways to put the building to use.

"Pretty much everyone is upset, but we walked out of Twin 'W' with our heads held high," he said.

'Furries' party at West Windsor rescue squad photos 6 Gallery: 'Furries' party at West Windsor rescue squad photos

Nicole Mulvaney may be reached at nmulvaney@njtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @NicoleMulvaney. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.