: After months of hard work by the Columbia
Quick Response Service, Inc after having their 501 C (3) status revoked for failure to file
appropriate 990 year end tax returns the now 501 C (3) Tax Exempt organization was approved
once again by the Federal Internal Revenue Service.
• Now having the tax exempt status approved donations made to the Columbia QRS are
now Tax-Deductible.
• During the time prior to approval the Columbia QRS was facing the possibility of not being
able to provide 911 emergency services to the residents of Columbia Borough.
Paperwork was filed by the Columbia QRS to be reinstated on September 22nd, 2011, but
at that time the organizations funding was dwindling with major concern to it’s current
operations being able to continue, along with the yearly main donator was holding the
group’s yearly donation until which time the 501 C (3) was approved. Over the waiting
period overdue fuel invoices began to pile up. Executive Director Frank A. Splain, Jr. of
the Columbia QRS stated that he had been keeping Columbia Borough Council advised
of the organizations taxing problems and that the overdue fuel bills payable to the
borough of Columbia could not be paid until the group regained their tax-exempt status.
Columbia Borough’s finance committee at their November meeting gave the Columbia
QRS until December 1st, 2011 to have all unpaid fuel invoices paid and if not the finance
For Release 9 a.m. EDT, December 02, 2011
Page 2
Columbia QRS, Inc. is once again a Tax-Exempt Organization
committee of Mary Wickenheiser, Mary Barninger and Kelly Murphy gave the order to the
borough’s finance manager to suspend the Columbia QRS fuel credit cards. At The
November Columbia Borough Council Meeting Executive Director Splain asked the
borough officials to give leniency, but borough council Murphy’s reply “we appreciate
what you do for the community” but we can not have delinquent bills outstanding” which
was the reason for the borough recently hired a collection company out of York to begin
collections on unpaid invoices due to the borough by residents. Council member Sandy
Duncan stated that she was “totally appalled that her colleague’s were handling their very
own dedicated all volunteer emergency medical service in this fashion” . Director Splain
stated that the volunteer group had responded to over 1,700 calls in 2011 as of
November and has responded to over 10,000 911 emergency medicals calls from the
sick and injured since going into service on July 1st, 2003. However no other council
members were budging at Spain’s pleas for assistance of asking just for the time needed
to get the proper approval from the Federal IRS. With much hard work that approval
could not have come any faster than Friday December 2nd, 2011, at which time the
donation check that was on hold was able to be released to the Columbia QRS and the
Borough of Columbia’s past due fuel invoices were all paid in full by the Columbia QRS.
The Columbia QRS went into operation on July 1st, 2003 at the exact time of the closing
of the Lancaster General Hospitals Susquehanna Division. In September of 2006 Council
woman Mary Wickenheiser cited the Columbia QRS as being the wake-up call to the
current ambulance service Susquehanna Valley EMS which then borough council was
making a vote on whether or not to recognize Susquehanna Valley EMS as the
ambulance service to the community due to 911 response issues that were brought to
the borough’s attention by the Columbia QRS. The Columbia QRS, Inc. is an all 100%
volunteer organization which has no affiliations to any other emergency services,
volunteers from the Columbia QRS respond to an average of 150 calls per month to the
needs of the community residents. Columbia QRS does not bill for any services and
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