Berlin eyes new bids for ambulance service
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By David Delcore TIMES ARGUS STAFF - Published: December 2, 2009
BERLIN – The local fire department and three neighboring communities have less than a month to respond to Berlin's newly rekindled search for an ambulance provider.
The latest request for proposals went out on Monday and Barre, Barre Town, Montpelier and the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department have all been asked to submit their responses by noon on Dec. 29.
According to Town Administrator Jeff Schulz, those responses will be reviewed by the selectboard on Jan. 4. Although it is unclear whether a decision will be made at that meeting, at least one of the likely bidders – the town's volunteer fire department – needs a fairly rapid response in order to accommodate its plans to get into the ambulance business by July 1, 2010.
"We would need to know as soon as possible after Jan. 4," spokesman Scott Bagg said, explaining the department must clear several key hurdles if its proposal is chosen.
On the list is obtaining the requisite state and local licenses, acquiring an ambulance, finalizing financing and arranging comprehensive emergency medical technician training for many of its members.
According to Bagg, training, which includes 120 hours of classroom time, is the department's most pressing concern. So far, he said, 12 volunteers have expressed interest in obtaining the EMT certification they would need to work for the proposed ambulance service in a full-time, part-time, or volunteer capacity.
Bagg said the department envisions an ambulance service with seven full-time staff – including four paramedics – as well as a cadre of volunteer EMTs who would fill in on nights and weekends. Bagg said a paramedic would be on duty around the clock seven days a week, while paid EMTs would work weekday shifts and be supplanted by volunteers after hours and on weekends. He said the mix of paid staff and volunteers should allow the department to deliver a comparable level of service in a more cost-effective manner.
"That's a key piece of our proposal," he said.
Financially, Bagg said the department's proposal was in line with those submitted by Barre, Barre Town and Montpelier during a similar process that was aborted last March, and would not require a one-time infusion of local tax dollars to cover start-up expenses. Instead, he said the incorporated department, would seek a loan and a line of credit to cover those costs.
Berlin is currently in the midst of a one-year contract with Barre Town Emergency Medical Services to provide ambulance service to all but a small section of the community. Barre Town EMS has provided ambulance service to Berlin for several years and the one-year contract was signed after discussions of a regional service prompted the selectboard to scrap all of the proposals that it received in back March.
Although those regional discussions are still ongoing, Berlin's contract with Barre Town EMS is scheduled to expire in less than seven months and the selectboard wants to evaluate its multi-year alternatives.
Due to the competitive nature of the process, Bagg said he could not discuss the department's proposal in detail, but members are committed to holding a public information meeting soon after the Dec. 29 deadline passes.
"We recognize it is important that our voters have an opportunity to ask questions about what we are proposing," he said. "There will definitely be a time for that."
According to Bagg, the department has come to the conclusion that a dual fire and ambulance department with some paid staff is in the best interest of the town. The plan has been discussed since May and is now being "tweaked" to conform to the newly solicited request for proposals.
Home to the regional medical center, two major nursing homes, and a stretch of Interstate 89, Berlin generates more calls for service than most comparably sized communities.
Last year, Barre Town EMS responded to 1,753 calls for service in Berlin, including 516 emergencies and 1,237 non-emergencies. Many of the non-emergencies involved transfers from one of the two nursing homes to the nearby hospital.
As part of its latest request for proposals, the selectboard has asked for five-year projection of ambulance calls and a detailed breakdown of the annual cost to Berlin for the service.
The board has reserved the right to reject any and all proposals.
david.delcore@timesargus.com
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