The Watertown Fire Department got approval to run a second ambulance after the City Council approved funding to staff the ambulance on Tuesday.
The vote came a couple weeks after the City Council’s Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight heard a presentation from Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson and members of the City administration. That meeting was the second hearing on adding a second ambulance.
Nicholson said when calls are handled by the contracted ambulance run by Pro EMS, it takes longer to get to calls, and the City is losing reimbursement for the transportations to hospital when the outside ambulance handles a call. Additionally, he said that Watertown’s paramedics are overworked, morale is low, and several have left the WFD.
The Fire Department will hire eight paramedics to staff the second ambulance, which will have a net increase to the City’s budget of about $450,000.
City Council President Mark Sideris thanked the Committee, Nicholson and the City staff for preparing a good presentation. The plan in the Committee report calls for hiring eight paramedics over the next four months. Sideris said that may take a bit longer
“I agree four months is very aggressive but we are setting ourselves up to get this done. That is the most important thing,” Sideris said. “We owe this to the community. The community has been requesting this. The last time we tried to do this we tried to do it with overtime. It didn’t work properly. It wasn’t the right way to do it. I think this has been thought out. It is the right way to do it.”
Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli, chair of the Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight, said that the Committee raised 14 questions after the first meeting. He thanked Nicholson at the administration for looking at multiple options and developing a ranking system.
“I think it was an extremely good process and a good example of teamwork, of the committee, the Fire Department, the finance team — Assistant City Manager for Finance Ari Sky and City Auditor Megan Langan — working hard,” Piccirilli said.
One of the keys, Piccirilli said, was setting the benchmark to meet the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) goal of responding in less than 9 minutes to a medical call at least 90 percent of the time.
“Everything starts with that because that really sets the level of service we want to provide for people living in Watertown, people who work in Watertown, people who visit Watertown,” Piccirilli said.
Councilor John Gannon said he was proud to see how Watertown’s ambulance service has evolved over the years, from a basic life support ambulance, to one with advanced life support (ALS) under former Chief Mario Orangio, and now a second WFD ALS ambulance.
“We can always speak about the finances involved but these are very human outcomes, we are talking about effective medical transportation and improved medical outcomes,” Gannon said.
Councilor Nicole Gardner said she has seen how good Watertown’s ambulance crews are. She had to use an ambulance twice recently, and both times the Watertown Fire Department’s ambulance responded.
“I can’t speak strongly enough about the compassionate and professional care that was provided to me and the amount of confidence it provided me in a very scary situation,” Gardner said.
Councilor Tony Palomba said he had some concerns about the financial numbers with the reimbursements provided by health insurance. During the hearing, Sky said that there is uncertainty about funding of Medicare and Medicaid.
The Council unanimously voted to fund the hiring of eight paramedics for the second Watertown Ambulance, and to set the goal of meeting the NFPA standard.
Former City Councilor Angeline Kounelis thanked the City Council and Administration for bringing the ambulance staffing forward and garnering support, Nicholson for his “fine presentation,” and community members for offering their support.
“I am looking forward to the staffing level to accommodate the second ambulance be brought forward quickly, so if and when the need arises for residents to request the second ambulance we will have the appropriate staffing,” Kounelis said.
Thanks to all those involved for a job well done. We needed this.
Could Mr. Sky explain why there is “uncertainty about funding of Medicare and Medicaid” for legitimate claims? Specifics, please.
Mr. Sky apparently reads the news about the House GOP “One Big Bill Beautiful Bill” and its planned Medicaid cuts. I’m sure you can find plenty of reasons to be concerned with this disastrous piece of legislation which even MAGA representatives are running away from.
I don’t know what Mr. Sky read, neither do you. I read the bill. Cutting Medicaid to able body recipients who refuse to work is not a bad thing.
Don’t be sure about what I can find or not. That’s my prerogative.
As this article concerns our City’ ambulance, at least, as Watertown resident, I have standing to discuss it, unlike others.