Mall Asked to Chip in for Ambulance Service
 |
The board has been concerned about lack of coverage in town, especially after the closure of American Medical Response, a private ambulance service, last year.
For the past 10 years, the town has maintained an Ambulance Fund with revenue from use of the ambulance and from donations. The monies are used to purchase equipment and supplies for the ambulance service. The town-owned ambulance is usually replaced every three to five years. Replacement at this time yields the best trade-in value, say officials.
The ambulance service has been staffed by volunteer emergency medical technicians. There were two backup ambulance companies: AMR and County Ambulance. But last year AMR went out of business. Also, in the past few years, it has been increasingly difficult to find volunteers for weekday staffing, say ambulance officials. As a result, the availability of ambulance service in Lanesborough has been compromised.
To ease the situation, the Selectmen moved $30,000 from the fund to establish an account to hire daytime, weekday EMTs to staff the ambulance. State regulations require that two certified EMTs staff the ambulance.
Fire Chief Charles Durfee has been tracking ambulance calls since Jan. 1. So far there have been 16 calls; four from the mall. The purpose of tracking is to help establish a budget for the ambulance service. The cost of one ambulance call is about $400.
Payment comes from insurance, Medicare and other sources, but some users ignore billings and pay nothing.
The board has asked the Berkshire Mall to make a contribution since about 25 percent of ambulance calls originate there. Mall manager Joseph Scelsi attended the meeting but did not make any commitment on behalf of the mall management.
Durfee recommended that the board contact state Rep. Denis E. Guyer, D-Dalton, to discuss if some accommodation could be made to ease the requirement of having two EMTs for every ambulance call.
The Selectmen said they want to be certain that ambulance service is always available to Lanesborough residents. They are considering all options to ensure service.
Dog Officer Issue Resolved
In other business, the saga of the dog officer may be coming to an end. Dalton Police Chief John Bartels and Animal Control Officer Michael McClay attended the Selectmen's meeting to discuss an effort to share the animal control position.
McClay outlined his current procedures in Dalton, including a proactive approach to maximize the number of dog registrations. McClay is certified by the state as an animal control officer and inspector. After some discussion, it was agreed that the town managers from both communities would develop a memorandum of understanding outlining the terms of McClay's employment in Lanesborough.
There also has been progress at Laston Park. Debbie Decelles, recreation director, and the board discussed some issues involving the park. The Recreation Department needs to set up procedures for maintenance, including mowing the grass and grooming the baseball field. The department has requested a new tractor, which would be housed at the park to ensure availability. The board will continue to research the options for maintenance, possibly done by the Highway Department.
Information provided by Lanesborough Concerned Citizens Newsletter. To receive the weekly newsletter with more Lanesborough news, e-mail ahartheimer@yahoo.com.
