Paramedic service contract for Monroe EMS gets Town Council approval
Valley EMS should begin role here on Dec. 1
The Town Council unanimously approved a contract Tuesday night to have the Valley EMS provide paramedic service in Monroe.
The service will be based in Monroe and provide a paramedic 24/7 in town throughout the year. Monroe now also uses contracted paramedics, both on a per shift and per diem basis, but sometimes the paramedics are based in town and at other towns they must travel from out of town.
There have been concerns that using paramedics from outside town can lead to delays in patient care. Only paramedics — and not emergency medical technicians (EMTs) — are allowed to administer most medications and conduct certain procedures on patients.
The contract is part of a process to have the Monroe EMS manage its own paramedic service, which should allow it to improve its finances and bill at higher rates. The Monroe EMS is expected to receive the required state certification soon to oversee its own paramedic service (or ALS, for advanced life support).
Dennis Condon, Monroe EMS Commission chairman, said he was “extremely comfortable” with the agreement negotiated with the Valley Emergency Medical Service (VEMS).
“It’s been a long time coming,” Condon said.
Contract amount is less than budgeted
The contract should take effect Dec. 1. VEMS will be paid $379,000 a year for providing in-town paramedic service. The rate will go up 2.5% in the second year of the contract.
The goal is to “proceed with a long-term arrangement” with VEMS, Condon said.
Condon said the amount being paid is less than what was budgeted. He said the town had estimated it would pay $444,000 a year. “It will be underbudget,” he said.
During the current fiscal year, $350,000 was allocated to begin the ALS service because it was to start Oct. 1 and therefore only had to cover three-quarters of a fiscal year.
Condon said negotiations to finalize the contract took longer than expected. He called Dec. 1 “a doable date” that would allow Valley EMS to train personnel and make other necessary arrangements.
Council member asks chain-of-command questions
Before the 8-0 vote to approve the contract by the Town Council took place, council member Frank Lieto asked questions about the grievance procedure and contract termination rights with the new VEMS arrangement.
Condon said the VEMS paramedics “will have to follow our EMS rules” and the Monroe EMS chief will have a role in determining actions to be taken if any VEMS personnel problems arise.
VEMS is a nonprofit organization based in Oxford that serves Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton. Monroe now gets paramedic service from a private, for-profit company based locally in Bridgeport.
Paramedic to be based at Jockey Hollow Fire Station
With the contract, one vehicle and one paramedic will be based at Jockey Hollow Fire Station (or potentially Chalk Hill School in the long run). VEMS will provide the vehicle — a Chevy Blazer, and called a “fly car” — for the paramedic but it will have the “Monroe EMS” logo on it.
VEMS also will provide medications and other supplies. The Monroe EMS will continue to provide ambulances, also housed at the Jockey Hollow Fire Station, and EMTs.
Any need for a back-up paramedic still will have to come from out of town.
Monroe EMS uses both volunteer and paid EMTs, depending on the time and day of the week. Paid EMTs are needed during the day on weekdays because most volunteers are not available due to their regular day jobs.