A plan to overhaul the emergency medical service in the village has been put on hold.
Mayor John Bertoni issued notice to the village firefighters’ union on April 24 that the department’s EMS program would be terminated on May 31, putting emergency medical care in the village solely in the hands of Union Volunteer Emergency Squad.
Amid concern from village board members and opposition voiced by the association of Town of Union emergency medical workers, Bertoni said he is now pushing back his plan while the details are ironed out.
UVES is staffed by about 90 members, split roughly evenly between paid and volunteer workers. It covers the entire Town of Union from three stations, one of which is located at 323 Maple St. in Endicott.
Currently, both firefighters and UVES paramedics and EMTs respond to medical calls in the village, with the firefighters typically arriving first.
It will take more time, Bertoni said, to ensure the transition doesn’t negatively affect response times.
In a written statement, the union representing UVES paramedics and EMTs weighed in on the matter last week, saying it fears the termination of the EMS program “will lead to a reduction in the qualityof services currently provided to Endicott residents.”
Bertoni said the directive was meant to cut the runaway costs in the fire department and to keep firefighters at the station to make sure staffing is adequate for fire-protection duty.
Under the current arrangement, two firefighters on each shift are assigned to the department’s medical vehicle at a time, and they receive a stipend of 53 cents per hour while on medical duty. Firefighters are still considered on call for fires while they are out on medical calls.
The village board is scheduled to discuss the matter at a 6:15 p.m. work session before its regularly scheduled meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
-Article courtesy of the Press and Sun
