Possible NFD cuts pose threat for EMS throughout Chenango
NORWICH – If proposed cuts to Norwich’s fire department go through, emergency service coordinators warn of the ripple effect it will have on EMS services, not just in the city, but throughout the county.
On Tuesday, the Norwich Common Council heard concerns from many residents and members of the Norwich Fire Department regarding the possible elimination of full-time and part-time positions within the department by the end of the year. The idea comes as a way for the Council to trim the 2016 annual budget and avoid a double-digest tax hike for city residents.
Norwich City Human Resources Director Deborah DeForest explained the city suggests cutting five part-time and four full-time positions, with two of those full-time positions being reinstated by fall of 2016. However, two firefighters are up for retirement in 2016 and the city does not plan to refill those positions, she said, meaning there will still be four less full-time positions in the department by this time next year.
The proposed reduction of nearly $240,000 to the fire department’s personnel budget would mean less people on staff, and that means less availability to answer calls. And since Norwich contracts EMS services to such a vast part of the county, it creates a hole for EMS that will have to be somehow filled, explained Chenango County Director of Emergency Management Matthew Beckwith.
Beckwith addressed the issue to the County Safety and Rules Committee on Wednesday.
“I have a big concern because the City of Norwich Fire Department responds to South Otselic, Smyrna, Sherburne, Oxford, North Norwich, Guildford, McDonough, Pharsalia, Plymouth and New Berlin. They are one of the biggest EMS agencies in this area,” said Beckwith. “If everything goes the way the (Norwich) Common Council is looking at, it’s going to leave us – all of our municipalities in the county of Chenango – in a huge EMS vacuum. There will not be ambulances going to some of those communities; or if there are, they will be extremely delayed.”
Beckwith added that while other communities in the county, including New Berlin, Afton, Oxford and Otselic have ambulance services, most rely on volunteers and lack the volunteer base to be reliable, especially during daytime hours. The impact would be felt especially hard in the western portion of the county, where there are only two ambulances: one in South Otselic and the other in Greene.
The loss of services from Norwich may mean Cooperstown Medical Transport (CMT), a private medical transport service in the area, would be asked to pick up the slack.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have control over CMT or what they decide to do,” Beckwith said.
EMS services were less a concern 15 years ago, when 16 departments and more than 20 ambulances in the county provided transport services. “Today, we only have 11 departments that could provide those services,” added Beckwith.
The threat of a shortage of EMS services – combined with a volunteer shortage – could expedite talks of shared services or even consolidation among some local departments, albeit reluctantly by many department members.
“A lot of departments are proud of what they have,” Beckwith said. “We will have to look past that and start consolidating some of our services together so we’re not spending multiple thousands of dollars on the same equipment that just sits there.”
The proposal to eliminate firefighters in the City of Norwich has been largely met by protest from many residents who urge city officials to look elsewhere for cuts without sacrificing public safety. The Common Council is looking at 5 percent cut in total public safety in the 2016 budget.
A public hearing for the city’s tentative $8.39 million budget is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9 at the City Court Building.
On Tuesday, the Norwich Common Council heard concerns from many residents and members of the Norwich Fire Department regarding the possible elimination of full-time and part-time positions within the department by the end of the year. The idea comes as a way for the Council to trim the 2016 annual budget and avoid a double-digest tax hike for city residents.
Norwich City Human Resources Director Deborah DeForest explained the city suggests cutting five part-time and four full-time positions, with two of those full-time positions being reinstated by fall of 2016. However, two firefighters are up for retirement in 2016 and the city does not plan to refill those positions, she said, meaning there will still be four less full-time positions in the department by this time next year.
The proposed reduction of nearly $240,000 to the fire department’s personnel budget would mean less people on staff, and that means less availability to answer calls. And since Norwich contracts EMS services to such a vast part of the county, it creates a hole for EMS that will have to be somehow filled, explained Chenango County Director of Emergency Management Matthew Beckwith.
Beckwith addressed the issue to the County Safety and Rules Committee on Wednesday.
“I have a big concern because the City of Norwich Fire Department responds to South Otselic, Smyrna, Sherburne, Oxford, North Norwich, Guildford, McDonough, Pharsalia, Plymouth and New Berlin. They are one of the biggest EMS agencies in this area,” said Beckwith. “If everything goes the way the (Norwich) Common Council is looking at, it’s going to leave us – all of our municipalities in the county of Chenango – in a huge EMS vacuum. There will not be ambulances going to some of those communities; or if there are, they will be extremely delayed.”
Beckwith added that while other communities in the county, including New Berlin, Afton, Oxford and Otselic have ambulance services, most rely on volunteers and lack the volunteer base to be reliable, especially during daytime hours. The impact would be felt especially hard in the western portion of the county, where there are only two ambulances: one in South Otselic and the other in Greene.
The loss of services from Norwich may mean Cooperstown Medical Transport (CMT), a private medical transport service in the area, would be asked to pick up the slack.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have control over CMT or what they decide to do,” Beckwith said.
EMS services were less a concern 15 years ago, when 16 departments and more than 20 ambulances in the county provided transport services. “Today, we only have 11 departments that could provide those services,” added Beckwith.
The threat of a shortage of EMS services – combined with a volunteer shortage – could expedite talks of shared services or even consolidation among some local departments, albeit reluctantly by many department members.
“A lot of departments are proud of what they have,” Beckwith said. “We will have to look past that and start consolidating some of our services together so we’re not spending multiple thousands of dollars on the same equipment that just sits there.”
The proposal to eliminate firefighters in the City of Norwich has been largely met by protest from many residents who urge city officials to look elsewhere for cuts without sacrificing public safety. The Common Council is looking at 5 percent cut in total public safety in the 2016 budget.
A public hearing for the city’s tentative $8.39 million budget is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9 at the City Court Building.
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