2011

Posted by Bob on July 8, 2011 under Daily Blogs | Be the First to Comment

Bloggers who overwhelming post without using real names on multiple Patch.com articles have offered several comments regarding paramedic services in Naugatuck that require a clarification of the facts. The articles can be viewed at the following links:

http://naugatuck.patch.com/articles/facing-high-costs-naugatuck-ambulance-alters-paramedic-service; and

http://naugatuck.patch.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-please-do-not-remove-the-paramedic-position

While it is certainly the right of anyone to make anonymous comments, the following are the realities of the situation.

1. Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., is not a department of the Borough of Naugatuck. It is a private entity under the law that is reported as a non-profit entity. An inquire to our Department of Finance revealed that none of the Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., employees are municipal employees or receive any health care and/or pension benefits from the Borough of Naugatuck.

2. The Borough contracts with Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., to provide first responder, ambulatory and paramedic services in Naugatuck for a flat fee that was budgeted for ONE HUNDRED FORTY EIGHT THOUSAND and 00/100THS ($148,420.00) DOLLARS in the 2011-2012 budget (which is currently subject to referendum). The agreement, which was first executed in 2007 and has essentially been renewed by effect, can increase for additional years based on the consumer price index.

3. The Borough does not employ paramedics. Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., contracts with a third (3rd) party to maintain a full-time paramedic in Naugatuck in accordance with the agreement. The Borough has not refused to fund paramedics as the service has been provided by Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., per the contract.

4. The Borough does not wish to terminate paramedic services in Naugatuck. It is the position of our administration that the Borough is contractually entitled to full-time paramedic services.

5. The state Department of Public Health exercises certain regulatory authority over local ambulance services, but does not interfere with contracts between municipalities and providers.

6. The Borough has not chosen to end full-time paramedic services or failed to fund paramedic services in Naugatuck. The Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses (“Joint Boards”) has approved funding for 2011-2012 fiscal year in accordance with the existing agreement with Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., which provides for paramedic services.

7. The Joint Boards, which will meet Tuesday (7/12/2011) evening to discuss this matter, has never received and/or rejected any formal proposal from Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., to fund full-time paramedic services to date. Our administration was not made aware of Naugatuck Ambulance Inc.’s intentions to stop providing full-time paramedic services in Naugatuck until last week. Joint Board members have not had an opportunity to discuss this matter and overwhelmingly voted to fund the existing arrangement with Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc.

8. To “Nelle”:

“Nelle

1:58pm on Friday, July 8, 2011

Get rid of the “blight officer” his salary is $20,000 that money should go toward a paramedic. The town is more concerned about what property looks like instead of peoples lives. This towns priorities are silly.”

There is no funding in the 2011-2012 budget (which is subject to referendum) for a blight officer. While I support funding the position of a blight officer, it was removed from the budget by a majority of the members of the Joint Boards. The role of blight officer is currently being filled temporarily by the mayoral aide, without compensation and/or additional taxpayer dollars. The proposed blight officer position was to be an employee of the Borough of Naugatuck. The paramedics that staff Naugatuck are provided by a contract with a private company and are not Borough employees.

9. To “Home Brewit”:

“HomeBrewIt

8:49am on Friday, July 8, 2011

This is going to kill people. It’s absurd that the town officials would not weigh in more heavily for this service, but are willing to waste time and money on issues like turf for athletic fields or making sure there are fireworks for the fourth. In most instances, there is a ten minutes rule for patients, from time of EMD to
hospital.. And in those cases where a medic is needed and this ten minute rule applies, it often is life or death… My experience with mutual aid is that it always takes more time when a medic can be provided in town. This is a shame, and is going to cost lives… Once again costs are gonna lead to lives lost in the emergency services.”

Town officials take this matter very seriously. Personally I agree with you that time is of critical importance when lives are in danger. Unfortunately most matters involve complexities and an examination of facts and options. The assumption that town officials are not acting because you do not read about rhetoric in the press is false. Comparisons to synthetic grass and fireworks make for great hyperbole, but are not remotely analogous in this situation.

10. The Borough needs to analyze what alternative options are available with regard to providing paramedic services in Naugatuck. The Borough does not control any private, legal company under the American system of government. While civil, regulatory and/or market-based remedies may exist, there are processes that must be followed and research performed.

11. Yes, the Borough frequently analyzes costs and benefits when budgeting. There is a duty to do so. In this case, there was never a decision to weigh costs v. public safety because the Joint Boards voted to approve funding for the arrangement with Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., as stated above, which included full-time paramedic services. Previous Joint Boards have analyzed different options for providing ambulatory services in Naugatuck, which ultimately resulted in maintaining the relationship with Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc.

We welcome concerns, questions and comments with regard to this matter. Please feel free to post the same here or email me directly at bob@bobmezzo.com. All posts are approved regardless of the opinions expressed, but are filtered manually for spam and/or inappropriate language/content.