NEW BERLIN – The vehicle used by the Village of New Berlin’s Ambulance Service was experiencing mechanical issues and while repairs are being assessed and made, the vehicle has been placed on temporary out of service status.
According to The Village of New Berlin Mayor Peter Lennon, residents and neighbors in the New Berlin area will likely receive Emergency Medical Service (EMS) support from South New Berlin, Sherburne, Norwich, or Chenango County EMS and neighbors in Otsego County service area will likely be provided EMS by Edmeston or Otsego County EMS.
On Thursday, October 26, The Village of New Berlin Board of Trustees will meet to review a few of the vehicle candidates to replace the current out of service ambulance and hope to make a decision to move forward.
Lennon said, “A couple of the ambulance drivers will be at the meeting as they went out and viewed the possible candidates and will brief us of what they found. We’ll be going through the normal procurement process.”
Lennon said, “We’re in a position where we need a rig to continue to have a revenue stream to support the operation. Unfortunately, so many costs have gone up, just the same as any commercial vehicle or private car and the market is challenging.”
“It’s important to continue to keep this service operational as we’re down for the next few days. We’re working to bring a vehicle up and there may be other options in the near terms but I want to have a New Berlin Ambulance Service vehicle ready to respond and serve the community as quickly as I can get one,” said Lennon.
Lennon explained a bid went out for a 2016 to 2018 vintage, with hopefully less than 100,000 miles. Lennon said he anticipates the bid to be anywhere between $35,000 to $50,000 for a 2016 model but possibly higher and within those parameters may bid for about $90,000 to $100,000 or more.
“A new ambulance can easily run about $250,00 to $300,000. We explored the fact to take off the old patient module and put on a new chassis, but remounting is about the same as purchasing a new ambulance,” said Lennon. “There is no cost savings there.”
Lennon said they did have a small reserve built over time when the number of calls and transports were much higher and they dedicated a certain portion of the EMS budget toward that, but in fact, they are operating in a deficit each month that’s eating away at their reserve.
He said they may not be able to extend all they had allocated in their initial budget assessment for the year so they can keep a cushion to absorb some of their other monthly losses and mentioned there may be funds coming in from some generous residents and village property owners.
“We need to have a rig running up and down the road sooner than later,” Lennon said. “This is a serious problem throughout rural New York State. No community is unscathed.”
Lennon said the state has not determined ambulance service is an essential service. There is no state funding that comes with providing ambulance service to a municipality and the ambulance service must sustain itself financially.
Revenues have to match up with expenditures and the state reimbursement for Medicaid and Medicare is pennies on the dollar that would be paid for by insurance. Where regular Insurance might pay $1200.00;  Medicare may only pay $250.00 and with the changing demographic in the area, there is a higher percentage of folks on Medicare and a significant number of folks on Medicaid as well, said Lennon.
“More elderly on Medicaid and Medicare means the slice of the pie that is covered by regular insurance is smaller than it used to be,” he said. “And if a patient decides not to be transported to the hospital, there is no reimbursement at all, which is about 35% to 40% of the calls the crews go out on.”
The population over 65 has grown by about 20% in the last decade said Lennon and they are more and more dependent on those Medicare reimbursements which are not significant enough to cover the costs of new equipment.
Lennon said Senator Peter Oberacker and Assemblyman Joe Angelino are aware and familiar with the emergency response needs of upstate and they both are wonderful advocates but trying to convince someone in the metropolitan area where the votes are, to take this as a serious issue, has been a challenge.
He said this is not something on their radar that is a priority. Angelino and Oberacker are trying to create different approaches but end up with panels studying the problem; meanwhile someone needs an ambulance quicker than a 45 minute wait.
Lennon said these people are the parents, aunts, and uncles of friends that I went to school with. He said they may be quietly off living by themselves but need to be treated with respect and provided the services we all need. 
“EMS is a service it's not a benefit,” he said. “It’s a service and something that should be standard within a civilized advanced society.”
Lennon said in 2018, a $150,000 grant was committed and as of this date, the grant funds have not been seen.
“This is a statewide problem and the model just doesn’t work. Many municipalities have identified and been told they will receive grant money for various items of emergency response equipment but they haven’t seen any funding yet either,” he added.
According to Lennon, a few weeks ago Senator Oberacker said he had $13 million in approved grants where the money has not yet been released for projects like this. Lennon said they’re working their way through but it seems to be working through based on political affiliation in many cases.
Lennon said their revenues are not going up in parallel to what the expenses are. And in some cases, the numbers are going down because of the number of calls and transports New Berlin EMS is experiencing. The revenue stream is just not there to sustain it he said.
“We have also applied for a grant from the state through Assemblyman Angelino for $74,000,”   Lennon said, “It may take several months to over a year to receive and it looks promising right now but the grant process drags very slowly but if we can get that grant it will help build our fund and about six to eight years from now, we’ll be ready for the future and possibly a new truck to replace the older one we’re purchasing now.”
"Local leaders are trying to do this right but the roadblocks are numerous and it’s not just New Berlin. It’s Sherburne, Greene, and other municipalities that are having a hard time and need to watch their pennies too,” said Lennon.
Lennon appreciates the folks that have been working for them on their behalf and said he truly appreciates the medics and drivers that come to work every day; many for no reimbursement and some for compensation that certainly is not what he’d like to pay them.
“Also, I’d like to thank Assemblyman Angelino and Senator Oberacker for their support,” said Lennon. “They haven’t been able to crack the code yet and are dealing with forces that don’t think this is important and don’t realize what they’re doing to fellow New Yorkers.”