Woodstock residents at risk to lose EMS services

[Kavsuvb]

Woodstock residents at risk to lose EMS services

Woodstock residents could soon be losing their emergency medical services entirely if they don’t get the funding they need.

www.wfsb.com

 

[DesertMedic66]

If you want EMS services in your town, you gotta pay for them

 

[johnrsemt]

PT job has no tax base for EMS (none for fire either but they go begging to the Casino's that the EMS owner won't do).
All insurance and private pay (and it is $6,000 for each transport) and other companies that she owns keeps her in business

 

[Kavsuvb]

Their's more to this story.

Keeping Full-Time EMS Service in Woodstock a Challenge for Town Budget

The town of Woodstock is discussing whether there’s room in the budget to continue 24/7 EMS services. The volunteer fire department said the funding won’t be there after June. The future of full-time EMS service is in the hands of the Woodstock town budget. Neighbors packed the meeting room...

www.nbcconnecticut.com

 

[DrParasite]

Their's more to this story.

Keeping Full-Time EMS Service in Woodstock a Challenge for Town Budget

The town of Woodstock is discussing whether there’s room in the budget to continue 24/7 EMS services. The volunteer fire department said the funding won’t be there after June. The future of full-time EMS service is in the hands of the Woodstock town budget. Neighbors packed the meeting room...

www.nbcconnecticut.com

What you don't see written is the town is currently not paying for the full time EMS service; the EMS agency (or fire department providing EMS, whatever) is an independent 3rd party entity that is (likely contracted to be) providing a service to the town, likely for less than it costs to run a full service EMS agency due to historical reasons. The agency, to their credit, recognized a problem, and implemented a solution, but they don't have the funding to maintain the level of service without the taxpayers making up the difference. If the town wants a full time EMS service, with prompt response times and an ALS ambulance to respond to medical emergencies, they should fund it (I'd go as far as saying to hire the full time employees so they get municipal benefits, even if they are managed by the EMS agency or the FD), and yes, make cuts elsewhere to balance the budget.

BTW, the town collects $4,471,737.00 in property taxes in 2022.... $105,320 in parking lot fees... $79,284.96 from rental fees... $115,059 from building permits... $570,202 in mortgage tax... and that's just what went into the general fund, as per https://townwoodstock.digitaltowpat...ld=documents;/content/Documents/File/1809.pdf. They also have a highway fund, a lighting fund, and a garden fund....

I'm not naïve enough to think that this is an easy task, but which is more important? a staffed ambulance to respond to the residents heart attacks, or they 106615.00 they have budgeted for the youth program?