By Kathy Halloran
Waterbury Republican-American (Connecticut)
SEYMOUR, Conn. — The Emergency Medical Services Oversight Commission has found that the Seymour Ambulance Association has achieved financial stability and has regained public trust following a financial scandal last year.
The commission released a report to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday after it took more than seven months to review the records of the ambulance association.
While final financial numbers were not available, commission members said there is no doubt as to the ambulance association’s ability to function, maintain services and pay down debt.
“EMSOC has determined the association is operating as required in terms of providing emergency medical services to the town of Seymour,” the report reads. “The 2006-07 fiscal year financial reports are clear and concise, and seem to illustrate the association’s ability to function, maintain services and pay down debt.”
The commission was put in place in February to obtain current and accurate financial reports from the ambulance association, including monthly income and operating expenses.
The oversight was required, officials said, to help get finances under control.
In January 2005, Frank Marcucio III, the longtime executive director of the association, resigned two days after Attorney General Richard Blumenthal released a report alleging that he used an association credit card to charge more than $47,000 in personal items, ranging from cruises to adult novelty store items.
Blumenthal and the association have since filed lawsuits against Marcucio, alleging he misspent the organization’s money, leaving the association at least $200,000 in debt. Marcucio has not been charged with a crime but is still a subject of a Seymour Police Department investigation.
Since taking over earlier this year, Executive Director Scott Andrews has been working with the commission to “ensure the accurate input of data into the accounting system and subsequent reports,” the report says.
“We’re moving forward and have a really great sense of cooperation,” said commission Chairman Irene Jecusco. “We’ve always gotten what we asked for.”
Andrews had no comment about the report.
The report commends the association, board of trustees and Andrews, who have “worked hard to achieve financial stability and regain the public trust.”
“They’ve really come a long way from January,” said First Selectman Robert Koskelowski Sr. “We have to give a lot of credit to Scott, for not only running operations so when someone calls 911 an ambulance gets out, but for the extra hours and time he’s put in on this report. It took a little struggle, but we got here — now the we’ll keep moving forward.”
The commission will turn in quarterly financial reports to the selectmen, with the next due in October.