Over 60 years ago, Charlemont Firemen, as they were called then, purchased for a dollar the construction site ambulance, an old Packard, from Rowe Yankee to start an ambulance service. This was long before OEMS (Office of Emergency Medical Service) under DPH (Dept. of Public Health). Please do not think this is a case of tripping down memory lane. Rather, it is a clear example of resourcefulness and creativity.
Charlemont still has some of those elements of resourcefulness, but it is severely restricted by the Commonwealth.
That said, let me be as clear as I am able in a civil way that I am disgusted that two bills, one crucial to Western Mass. and one, specifically, for Charlemont, did not pass before the close of last year’s legislative session in Boston. The excuses I have heard are lame. I do note that Rep. Paul Mark is also disappointed by state agencies that stopped any progress at the last moment.
The first bill would allow towns with populations of 2,500 or less to run their ambulances with one Basic EMT and one First Responder (to drive). Rep. Mark used the language of a 2,500 population at the suggestion of DPH who then spoke against the bill. This is also a classic case in my opinion of administrative law run amok. Does not our Legislature write laws anymore?
In March 2005, the Charlemont ambulance presented to OEMS a 19-page waiver request that showed the need, existing conditions and complete documentation. That piece of ancient history can now be seen as prescient because all facts remain the same, except they are worse. Why bother anyone with facts? Why be engaged if we can be ignored by the professional bureaucrats? I am tired of folks thinking they are smarter than those with boots on the ground. Check to see if this applies to your town.
The second bill would allow the Town of Charlemont to have a recreation tax. The town is the outdoor recreational capital of Mass. with downhill skiing, three rafting companies, mountain biking, to name a few. The town’s people, the Annual Town Meeting and all recreational and other local businesses supported the bill to generate income to offset the town’s costs of services for our visitors.
Our tax rate is now $20.20. We are close to our levy limit. In my honest opinion, overrides will not pass. We are facing financial and personnel triage with our ambulance attempting to meet the needs of our town, all travelers along Route 2 and all our visitors engaging in activities that may occasionally cause injuries needing an ambulance.
While the EMTs are paid for the time spent with ambulance duties, it is essentially a volunteer service. All the educational requirements on full-time paid services in the cities also apply here. This fact is important to remember because those who think you can hire full-time, paid personnel for eight to twelve hours during the work week, do not comprehend how burdensome those requirements will become for someone doing a handful of annual calls to augment the hours not covered by full time paid personnel. There is history now in West County with the pros and cons of combining two types of services.
There are many aspects to this problem. The issue now and for at least 12 years is the inability, rejection, dismissal of possible solutions by the state as presented by our Town.
As a Springfield TV station discusses whether our legislators are paid enough, consider this: our state senator did not stand for re-election so we had no local senator to help us with our tax legislation after it passed the House.
DOR’s concerns expressed to the state senate make me laugh on three accounts. Do not our legislators travel to other states where recreation taxes and fees are the norm? We can tax meals but not purchased recreational activities? Or, is the problem that a community came together, found a reasonable solution acceptable to all local parties?
Good people are once again and still trying to fix a local problem. I know that calm, clear, concise arguments/positions cannot be heard on Beacon Hill. A Selectman suggested last night at a meeting that the problem is small towns do not know how to lobby. Good grief. Sometimes it feels like, “Please, Sir, more” as we become supplicants to various state alphabet agencies.
Why do we tolerate an OEMS Inspector telling a Selectman that our license will not be renewed in May? Who thinks this is a responsible statement? It always felt like bullying to me when I was an EMT from 1994 to 2009 — some things never change.
I write as an individual. My hair is on fire with frustration, concern for those who try so hard, and worry for how to fund any ambulance configuration as we prepare 2018 budgets — all because folks in Boston did not do their job except for Rep. Paul Mark. Perhaps it is time to return real authority to our cities and towns. What do you think?
Marguerite Morris Willis is a Charlemont resident.