HADLEY — A town agreement with a private ambulance service, in place for the past four years, will continue through the end of 2022, even as Action EMS is being affected by a statewide shortage in paramedics and EMTs.
Fire Chief Michael Spanknebel told the Select Board last week, in advance of its unanimous approval of the six-month extension with Action, that the company continues to provide top-notch service to residents and visitors.
But like both municipal and private ambulance service elsewhere in the state, Action is being affected by the lack of personnel to provide care to patients, Spanknebel said.
As part of the contract extension, a new provision will make sure the town doesn’t drop to a basic life support, or BLS, with the Action’s primary ambulance. This is being handled through a memorandum of agreement with the Northampton Fire Department in which Spanknebel said one of the city ambulances will be stationed in Hadley should Action be unable to provide advanced life support, or ALS level of service, with the main ambulance.
The memorandum calls for a 12-hour window for Action officials to notify Spanknebel, or Deputy Fire Chief Evan Briant, of any issue with staffing. Then, if it is determined that the highest level is not able to be provided, it gives Northampton eight hours to get its ambulance over the Coolidge Bridge
Under this plan, Action’s so-called Med 1 ambulance will become a basic ambulance, Spanknebel said.
“This is strictly just a precaution,” Spanknebel said
The extension also gives the town’s Ambulance Oversight Committee the authority to determine if Action is abusing this deal by deliberately requiring the city ambulance to head to Hadley. If that happens, a $500 fine can be levied.
Spanknebel, though, assured the Select Board that there have been no issues with Action, which started serving the town on June 29, 2018, replacing the Amherst Fire Department ambulances and lowering response times by having ambulances stationed both at the Dennis J. Hukowicz public safety complex, and at a substation on Route 9.
”The staff has been amazing,” Spanknebel said. “There’s been no change in the level of service.”
If all goes well during the extension, Spanknebel said it is likely that the contract with Action will be able to be renewed for the remainder of the fiscal year, through June 30, 2023.
