By Beth LaMontagne Hall
New Hampshire Union Leader
MANCHESTER, N.H. — About two dozen emergency responders from Rockingham Regional Ambulance service filled the Aldermanic Chambers last night to object to Manchester’s possible switch to another emergency ambulance service company.
Fire Chief James Burkush recommended the aldermen sign an agreement with American Medical Response of Massachusetts because it offered to pay the city $150,000 more a year to communicate through Manchester’s dispatch system than Rockingham Regional Ambulance offered.
If selected, AMR would take over as the city’s ambulance provider for two years starting Jan. 1, 2011, paying $235,000 the first year and $253,225 the second year.
“This decision did not come lightly,” said Alderman Dan O’Neil, who was part of the team that selected AMR’s bid. “I feel bad for all the Rockingham staff here, but the bottom line is your company made a decision not to put as much money on the table as AMR or Care Plus (ambulance service). ... You should be talking to your parent company as far as why they didn’t do that.”
The recommendation was put together by an ad hoc committee that reviewed three bids submitted to the city. The group included fire department administrators, Manchester Health Director Tim Soucy, Elliot Hospital Medical Director Dr. Tom Daprix and Alderman Jim Roy. Burkush said the decision was strictly financial and does not mean the city was unhappy with Rockingham’s service.
Alderman Ed Osborne questioned whether the team would have recommended the switch if it weren’t for the difference in money.
“Mr. Osborne is absolutely right. When it came down to comparing all the apples and all the oranges, it was about the money,” Roy told the members of the Committee of Administration and Information Systems. “It’s an extra $150,000 to the city of Manchester.”
Chief Burkush admitted it was about the money and if Rockingham’s bid was equal to AMRs the group would likely have not recommended to change.
Alderman Mike Lopez pointed out that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen had directed department heads to take another look at all contracts to save money and that’s what Burkush did.
Osborne was also concerned the new EMTs would not know the streets as well as Rockingham’s responders now do. AMR General Manager Brendan McNiff said it was his hope to hire as many local Rockingham emergency responders as possible who would know Manchester’s streets. The ambulances are also outfitted with routing systems that guide responders two and from the emergency site.
AMR may be paying more for dispatching, but some committee members were concerned there could be a higher cost to the people using the service. Burkush said in the bids received by Rockingham and AMR, there was no difference in the maximum amount patients would pay for transport.
The issue will be taken up again by the Administration Committee next Tuesday and its recommendation will be passed onto the full board of aldermen that night.
Copyright 2010 Union Leader Corp.