By Melvin Mason
Connecticut Post Online
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
DERBY, Conn. — Last month, one of the Storm Ambulance & Rescue Corps’ ambulances broke down on Route 8 while transporting a patient to the hospital.
Though the patient was not suffering from life-threatening injuries, Storm Engine Co. Chief Tom Lenart wants to make sure that does not happen again.
“We’re tying to avoid things like that,” Lenart said. “We want to hurry up and get it replaced.”
To do that, he said, the corps needs the city’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation to act on its request for a $52,000 down payment on a new ambulance and release the money immediately. The tax board is expected to review the corps’ request and deliver a decision next month.
Lenart said the corps, the only EMS and rescue provider in the city, requested the money from the city last year to buy a chassis for a new ambulance, which will be delivered in nine months after the vehicle is paid in full. The whole vehicle will cost more than $152,000, Lenart said.
The Board of Aldermen voted on June 28 to recommend that the tax board release the money, but the tax board froze the funds pending a review.
Henry Domurad Jr., chairman of the tax board, said a subcommittee, empanelled to study whether the corps should become a city agency, will talk with the city’s accountant later this month.
The subcommittee, which Domurad also chairs, is expected to make a recommendation to the tax board before its Aug. 20 meeting.
“We want to clarify that they don’t have the money themselves,” Domurad said.
Lenart said the rescue service needs the new vehicle urgently. It has two ambulances: a backup 1993 model that cost $10,000 to fix over several months, and a 1997 vehicle. Lenart hopes to phase out the older van when the new one arrives. “As long as we can order the chassis, we can use the order of the chassis as a down payment on the rest of the vehicle,” Lenart said. Mayor Anthony Staffieri said the city held the money because it had to review if Storm Engine Co. wanted to become a city agency. The corps opted to remain a volunteer agency serving the city, Staffieri said. The mayor expects the tax board to release the $52,000 from the 2006-07 budget and contribute another $52,000 from this year’s budget, which took effect July 1.