Recent discussion between the Amherst Select Board and the Town Manager misses the point of Emergency Services

Amherst, Massachusetts - February 27, 2008

At the last meeting of the Amherst Select Board on February 25, 2008, Town Manager Laurence Shaffer presented the Board with a breakdown of the costs associated with the Amherst Fire Department and the revenues the Department generates. In an attempt to arrive at a "cost per call" for Ambulance calls the Department responds to, he divided the expenses for the Department by the total number of calls. He asked the Board to accept the premise that every call has an equal financial value as a "leap of faith."

Amherst Firefighters Local 1764, the Union of the Amherst Fire Department, does not accept this premise, and we urge the Select Board, the Town Manager, and the residents of the Town to reject this "leap of faith." Local 1764 has a long tradition of providing high quality Emergency Medical Services to the residents of Amherst, Hadley, Leverett, Pelham, Shutesbury, and Sunderland. This level of service has resulted from a focus on caring for patients and the community. Now, the Town Manager and the Select Board are trying to define the Fire Department solely in terms of money. This is a dangerous mistake.

The residents of the communities we serve are not shareholders in a corporation, and a fee per call model is not appropriate or accurate to describe the work done by the Fire Department. Our fire fighters are there to protect the lives and safety of community members, not to generate revenue for other Town Departments. Neither Fire Department Chief Keith Hoyle nor Local 1764 were contacted to attend the meeting. Had we been present, we would have been able explain the many reasons why ideas like separating the Fire and EMS functions of the Department would compromise the high level of service that the Amherst Fire Department has been able to provide.

If the Town Manager and the Select Board are serious when they say they do not want to compromise the level of service provided, it would be wise for them to talk to the people who provide that service before recommending a radical restructuring of it.

We strongly encourage those concerned to visit our website to help develop a broader understanding of the issues.

www.amherstfirefighters.org

Please Contact David Clooney, President of Amherst Firefighters Local 1764, for more information.