HOPKINTON, N.H. — Hopkinton selectmen, faced with a challenging budget year, are considering replacing the town ambulance service with a professional squad. But in a meeting last night, selectmen said they’re far from reaching any sort of decision about whether to change the way the town delivers services.
More than 40 firefighters, medics and supporters turned out last night to protest what they saw as a secret attempt to restructure emergency services.
Chief Rick Schaefer, who runs the fire department and its related ambulance service, said he was caught off guard when he was asked by a resident about the possibility of privatizing the town service. When he read selectmen’s meeting minutes and listened to the meeting tape, he learned that the question was discussed during a meeting where he had testified - just about an hour after he had left.
“Why wasn’t I consulted to begin with?” Schaefer asked selectmen last night.
Several speakers criticized the board for not involving the fire chief from the very beginning of its discussions. They argued that as the town’s expert on emergency services, it was foolish for selectmen to seek information on a private ambulance service without his assistance.
Selectboard Chairman Scott Flood said there had been no covert attempt to exclude the fire chief from discussions; he said board members felt it would be helpful to have price quotes before beginning a detailed discussion of the issue. Flood said the questions raised about the ambulance service were also being asked of other town services and departments.
“As everyone knows, the cost of running any organization is going up dramatically, at unprecedented levels,” he said. “Our fuel costs have tripled this year and are expected to go higher. Unless we find new ways of doing things, we are not going to be able to continue.”
Flood said he had hoped to avoid the sort of public anger that he sensed at yesterday’s meeting.
“There’s no point in your kicking the hornets’ nest until you know there’s going to be some value in kicking the hornets’ nest,” he said.
Currently, Hopkinton runs a professional fire and ambulance service that is staffed by full-time members all but 48 hours a week. The department’s medics are trained as firefighters, so they are able to respond to both types of calls. Webster and Warner also use Hopkinton ambulance services, although they have their own volunteer fire departments.
Schaefer cautioned selectmen that though they might receive price estimates from private companies that look lower, it would be difficult to obtain an “apples-to-apples” comparison. Because his EMTs have dual training, Schaefer is able to staff fewer employees at a time. Outsourcing the ambulance service would not entirely reduce the need for full-time staff, he said.
Other speakers expressed concern that a private ambulance service could not easily replicate the quality provided by local employees.
“I have needed them. I can tell you the service they provided you will not be able to get apples-to-apples,” said Ken Soucey, who said he suffered a life-threatening accident and credits local EMTs with saving his life. “If you try going to somewhere else to get better, you ain’t going to get what you’ve got,” he added, to loud applause.
Selectmen closed the discussion with a promise to continue discussing the issue openly and said they would involve fire officials once they had received estimates from ambulance companies. They also lauded the commitment and professionalism of town employees.
But Selectman Tom Congoran also cautioned that no budget cuts would be entirely taboo.
“Almost nothing is off the table for this budget cycle,” he said. “So I don’t think there are going to be very many sacred cows as we swing into 2009.”
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