Deal reached on ambulance service

The village and town of Belgium came to an agreement with the Fredonia Fire Department on Monday that will charge the municipalities $150 per ambulance call.

A letter from Fredonia Village President Don Dohrwardt explained that the retirement of two longtime part-time emergency medical technicians who staffed the ambulance during first shift created openings that have proven difficult to fill.

No applicants applied after one month of the jobs being posted.

“We were forced to immediately rethink our ambulance staffing plan” in order to fill the first shift on weekdays, the letter states.

The “only feasible option” was to hire a full-time EMT. The job was posted in January and the position filled in April.

Extra expenses for such things as benefits came with the position. Those, along with decreases in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement and increasing costs of medical equipment and vehicle replacement, required more money.

Fredonia Fire Chief Brian Weyker said at the meeting that half of the ambulance calls are for Medicare and Medicaid patients.

A flat fee of $150 per call was proposed, the same amount that Port Washington charges for service to the town and village east of Highway LL.

Using an average of 120 calls per year, the village would pay $18,000 annually.

The town, at an estimated 25 calls per year, would pay $3,750.

The contract will be for three years.

The Belgium village and town boards unanimously agreed to the proposal.

“This is something we’ve seen coming,” Belgium Town Chairman Tom Winker said.

“I think it’s just something you had to go to,” Belgium Trustee Clem Gottsacker said.

All three town supervisors, three village trustees — Gottsacker, Rose Sauers and Josh Borden — and Village President Pete Anzia voted for the agreement.

“I’m glad we could talk it out and come to an agreement, and I look forward to that kind of cooperation in the future,” Dohrwardt said. “I tend to find a solid budget number easier to handle in a budget than something that can jump all over the map.”

Finding volunteer help during the day and in general has become a growing issue for departments across the country. Winker said he spent 15 years with the Belgium Fire Department and had an employer that allowed him to respond to calls.

“Will it ever come to the day a pager goes off and nobody answers? That could happen, and that would be a very sad day,” he said.

“It’s not always an easy discussion but it’s a discussion we’ve got to have.”

A final agreement will be drafted and both the town and village will have to sign the contract.