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The Easton EMS Commission for YEARS: Sanctioned out of town EMT responders from West Haven, Newtown, Monroe,Trumbull, Fairfield…. delaying our 911 calls response times up to 30 minutes or more; allowed 56 hours of unmanned shifts per week; and abused neighboring town resources through Mutual Aid to staff our unmanned shifts for years.
A year ago the public raised these concerns of disservice to our community and this huge liability to our town. EMS and the Bindelglass Administration lied and attacked the public for raising these concerns in public meetings and press releases (Op Eds) in the Easton Courier.
It was not until the Fire Commission letter that the administration was forced to address these issues and take them seriously. EMS was offered additional funds in April to cover our unmanned 56 hour-a-week shifts. EMS Chief Arnold declined the funds and Easton continues to have unmanned shifts to date, nine months later.
Easton needs a 24/7 EMS immediate, experienced 911 EMS response team. Resolution Hire AMR for the next 12 months, while the town audits our EMS services and determines the best plan to achieve 24/7 immediate experienced service. Whether it is to hire AMR or combine Fire and EMS, or move to full paid services is yet to be determined. What has become abundantly clear is that the EMS Commission is unworthy of having complete control and management of EMS Services for the town.
Our town Ordinance, chapter 47-5 Powers and Duties of Emergency Medical Services Commission, must be amended so all EMT-responses are immediate without delay and the the Board of Selectmen can have oversight and enforcement over EMS commission. This must be done before the town considers spending $4 millions on renovations to a building that EMTs refused to respond from.
Spending $4 million on a renovation project on the off chance that if we build it volunteer’s will come is nonsense and irresponsible and a huge gamble for the town. Renovations need to be done to the building, but a long range service plan needs to be put in place first so we know who will be using the building and in what capacity so the design meets the needs of who will be running EMS in the future.
The town has spent approximately $500,000 on this project thus far on land purchase and design, and neither may have been necessary. If we decided AMR is our long-term plan, then those funds were expended for nothing. Rushing into this project without addressing 24/7 service first and foremost was fiscally irresponsible and a disservice to the town.
Dr. Bindleglass’s wife sits on Easton EMS Commission, so I find it difficult to believe the Mayor was not aware of the lack of service and delays of service. Board of Selectman oversight needs to happen prior to spending any more funds on a renovation project when it is unknown who will be in charge of the building and what the needs of that entity are and its design for them.
As the public came forward complaining about response times, the administration made it seem that these were one off incidents and the complaints of “obstructionists”... until the Fire Commission corroborated the fact that the majority of calls were done from out of town and response times were a very big issue.
Maybe if the Bindelglass Administration did not ignore the pleas of residents and attack those who raised these concerns over a year ago the problem would already be fixed. Why is the EMS Commission pushing for a $3- $4 million renovation to the EMS building that responders refused to respond from? Will Dr. Bindelglass, Mr. D’Addario, Mr. Lessler and Mr. Foley apologize to the citizens they attacked publicly and in written press releases for the very same issues the Town is now rushing and struggling to fix?
Winter and the holidays are here and that means increase call volume. While we respect the work the volunteers do, it needs to be in town and immediate response to be of true service to our community. We will be calling on the Board of Selectmen to change our EMS Town Ordinance 47-5 Powers and Duties so the Town and Board of Selectmen have power and control of this vital service to the town can insure that Easton citizens and our community will never be put in a harmful situations like this again.
THE ORDINANCE CHANGE AND LONG TERM EMS PLAN NEED TO BE DONE AND PUT IN PLACE PRIOR TO ANY VOTE ON BUILDING RENOVATIONS!!! IF IMMEDIATE TEMPORARY FIXES NEED TO BE MADE TO THE BUILDING, EMS has $750,000 committed to fixing the building that can only be used to rehab the building. The town has spent $500,000 and nothing was fixed! EMS can put in funds needed to rehab the building in the interim. Why did the EMS Commission allow a town building to go into disrepair while sitting on $750,000 dollars it can only use to renovate or build a new building construction?
June Logie is a resident of Easton, Connecticut.
