Mutual aid improvements on the horizon for Norwich FD
The Oxford Fire Department is in the process of hiring new employees to get their station fully staffed. This will reduce some of the workload on Norwich EMS, who has responded to 35 calls outside of their certificate of need area in the last three weeks, 21 of which were to Oxford. (Photo by Sarah Giglio)
NORWICH — After years of being stretched thin by emergency calls outside of their certificate of need (CON) area, the Norwich Fire Department is finally getting a hand.
The Oxford Fire Department is in the process of hiring new employees in an effort to fully staff their station. In turn, this will relieve some of the pressure put on Norwich to answer calls outside of their CON area.
Currently, the Norwich Fire Department CON area covers the City of Norwich, the Town of Norwich, the Town of North Norwich, the Town of Plymouth, and the Town of Preston. However, they often respond to calls in other municipalities, including Oxford, McDonough, Pharsalia, and more.
Fire Chief Jan Papelino said that between June 15 and July 6, the Norwich Fire Department had responded to 35 emergency calls that were outside of their CON area.
"We’ve been out of the CON 35 times. 21 of them have been to Oxford, three were in Mount Upton, two were in Sherburne, one in New Berlin, one to South New Berlin, one to Pharsalia, and two in McDonough," said Papelino.
A good majority of calls come from Oxford, according to Papelino. He said Oxford is "by far the municipality that we respond to the most."
But, with Oxford hiring more employees, he's hoping they will be able to respond to more calls in the future.
"They've got ambulances, they've got an EMS service, they are in the process of hiring employees so they'll be manned. They'll have a manned station and they'll be able to respond the same way we do," said Papelino.
This will take some of the workload off the Norwich Fire Department. Currently, the surplus of calls is forcing residents in emergencies to wait anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour for an ambulance to arrive.
"We had one last week that we were in Oxford on a call, we had a second call in the city, and then we had a third call in the city. And that third call in the city had to wait over 15 minutes for an ambulance," Papelino explained.
"We have had instances in the county over the last year with people who have waited over an hour for an ambulance," he added.
Papelino stressed that he does want to help the other municipalities that need it, but that he also must think of the Norwich taxpayers.
"It's really for the Norwich taxpayer cause they're kind of footing the bill to go to these other municipalities," he said.
The cost of just getting the ambulance out of the station is around 500 dollars, according to Papelino. What's worse, oftentimes insurance does not reimburse the department for the entire cost.
"There's an organization, they call it UNYAN, it's the United New York Ambulance Network, and even they say it costs somewhere between five [hundred] and 550 dollars just to roll an ambulance through the door," said Papelino. "And when you're only getting reimbursed around an average of 350 dollars it doesn't even cover the cost of putting the ambulance through the door."
The stress on employees is also a problem, according to Papelino. He said Norwich EMS workers will occasionally work 48 hour shifts, and in that time it is not unusual for the station to get several overnight calls.
"There's a good chance you may only get a few hours of sleep that night, and you're supposed to be on your game the next day but you were sleep deprived that night," he said.
While the Oxford Fire Department will not be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week like Norwich, Papelino said their efforts to fully staff the station are a start.
"They've got it moving forward and I'm hoping, I'm hoping, I'm hoping," said Papelino.
The Oxford Fire Department is in the process of hiring new employees in an effort to fully staff their station. In turn, this will relieve some of the pressure put on Norwich to answer calls outside of their CON area.
Currently, the Norwich Fire Department CON area covers the City of Norwich, the Town of Norwich, the Town of North Norwich, the Town of Plymouth, and the Town of Preston. However, they often respond to calls in other municipalities, including Oxford, McDonough, Pharsalia, and more.
Fire Chief Jan Papelino said that between June 15 and July 6, the Norwich Fire Department had responded to 35 emergency calls that were outside of their CON area.
"We’ve been out of the CON 35 times. 21 of them have been to Oxford, three were in Mount Upton, two were in Sherburne, one in New Berlin, one to South New Berlin, one to Pharsalia, and two in McDonough," said Papelino.
A good majority of calls come from Oxford, according to Papelino. He said Oxford is "by far the municipality that we respond to the most."
But, with Oxford hiring more employees, he's hoping they will be able to respond to more calls in the future.
"They've got ambulances, they've got an EMS service, they are in the process of hiring employees so they'll be manned. They'll have a manned station and they'll be able to respond the same way we do," said Papelino.
This will take some of the workload off the Norwich Fire Department. Currently, the surplus of calls is forcing residents in emergencies to wait anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour for an ambulance to arrive.
"We had one last week that we were in Oxford on a call, we had a second call in the city, and then we had a third call in the city. And that third call in the city had to wait over 15 minutes for an ambulance," Papelino explained.
"We have had instances in the county over the last year with people who have waited over an hour for an ambulance," he added.
Papelino stressed that he does want to help the other municipalities that need it, but that he also must think of the Norwich taxpayers.
"It's really for the Norwich taxpayer cause they're kind of footing the bill to go to these other municipalities," he said.
The cost of just getting the ambulance out of the station is around 500 dollars, according to Papelino. What's worse, oftentimes insurance does not reimburse the department for the entire cost.
"There's an organization, they call it UNYAN, it's the United New York Ambulance Network, and even they say it costs somewhere between five [hundred] and 550 dollars just to roll an ambulance through the door," said Papelino. "And when you're only getting reimbursed around an average of 350 dollars it doesn't even cover the cost of putting the ambulance through the door."
The stress on employees is also a problem, according to Papelino. He said Norwich EMS workers will occasionally work 48 hour shifts, and in that time it is not unusual for the station to get several overnight calls.
"There's a good chance you may only get a few hours of sleep that night, and you're supposed to be on your game the next day but you were sleep deprived that night," he said.
While the Oxford Fire Department will not be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week like Norwich, Papelino said their efforts to fully staff the station are a start.
"They've got it moving forward and I'm hoping, I'm hoping, I'm hoping," said Papelino.
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