By Sandra E. Constantine
©2007 The Republican
© 2007 MassLive.com All Rights Reserved.
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. — Fire Districts 1 and 2 should work together in providing the town paramedic ambulance services and the town should get out of the business of providing ambulance services, acting only as a franchiser in operations, consultants told the Selectboard earlier this week.
“It’s not feasible any more for the town to be involved in ambulance service,” George R. Klauber, senior fire affiliate with Municipal Resources Inc. of Meredith, N.H., said during Tuesday’s selectboard meeting while outlining an addendum to a report his firm prepared on town ambulance services.
Klauber expressed concern about fractured relations among the town and the two fire districts, a situation that erupted about a year ago when Fire District 1 broke away from efforts by all three parties to seek a license together to upgrade town ambulances services to the paramedic level. District 1 is pursuing its own paramedic license with the state and is operating its own ambulance in addition to two town-owned ambulances it uses.
Klauber cautioned that the possibility of the town having three paramedic ambulance services is not desirable and that the main loser under that scenario would be the town ambulance service. Fire District 1 and 2 currently operate town-owned ambulances from their fire stations under the direction of Kenneth J. McKenna, the town’s ambulance director.
“When it comes to public safety competition is not good. You need to all be on the same team .... I’ve never seen it (competition) work very well,” Michael F. Farrell, a senior associate with the consulting group, said.
Selectman Carlene C. Hamlin said the majority of the problem is that the situation has become politicized.
“How do you depoliticize something like this? Hamlin asked.
“It’s called a merger,” Selectman Richard A. Constant said.
In response to a remark by Fire District 2 Prudential Committee member Curtis G. Smith that he would favor a merger of the two districts, which cover separate areas of the community, Klauber said, “That would solve most of your problems.”
However, Klauber, who as fire chief in Derry, N.H., oversaw the merger of two fire departments, said a forced merger would be worse than no merger at all.
Klauber said his interviews with local officials showed they all put patient care as their top priority. He recommended that Fire District 1 drop its separate ambulance service telephone number and that all ambulance calls in town be under the rubric of 911.
The town and the two fire districts are operating under an agreement that expires June 30, 2008, that allows for ambulance services to continue to be supplied as they are currently provided.