SOUTH DEERFIELD — Starting in July, South County EMS will charge Hatfield a $350 service fee per ambulance request, a move described by South County EMS Chief Joshua Sparks as a necessary “line in the sand” for the service to cover the cost of mutual aid.
Sparks explained that South County EMS responded to 97 calls, primarily on weekends and overnight, in Hatfield between July 1 and Dec. 31, a number that represents more than 10% of South County EMS’ total volume. However, the Hatfield Fire Department responded to South County EMS’ coverage area just once between July and January.
“The very idea of mutual aid implies reciprocal assistance,” Sparks wrote in his letter to the Hatfield Fire Department notifying the town about the fee, which would be implemented for each ambulance request “regardless of scene arrival or transport disposition.”
By comparison, over the same period, South County EMS responded to Ashfield 11 times, Heath four times, Millers Falls three times, Bernardston three times and Colrain twice. While South County EMS responded to 88 calls in Greenfield, Sparks said the city’s Fire Department and American Medical Response (AMR) provide regular mutual aid in return.
South County EMS does not charge service fees to any of the other nearby towns it serves because the towns are committed to offering around-the-clock emergency coverage, Sparks said. With consistent staffing, South County EMS’ mutual aid is not filling a gap in staffing in the other towns, unlike the situation in Hatfield, Sparks explained.
“Out of necessity, a lot of our neighboring communities rely on us and we’re very happy to help anybody, but when it comes at an expectation that we’re going to pay for their town’s emergency services and the taxpayers of Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately [will] foot the bill, that’s less than reasonable,” Sparks said in a phone interview Tuesday.
When South County EMS and the Hatfield Fire Department signed a mutual aid agreement in August 2024, Sparks was left with the impression that staffing at the department would improve in fiscal year 2026. However, Hatfield voters rejected the nearly $500,000 needed to support around-the-clock, full-time coverage at last year’s Annual Town Meeting. Since then, the Hatfield Fire Department has remained a mostly 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. operation, with South County EMS assisting with weekend and overnight calls more frequently.
“This comes at a cost to our department, of course,” Sparks explained. “I would love for the aid that we provide for Hatfield to be mutual aid.”
Between fuel, vehicle maintenance and supplies, each emergency response in Hatfield costs South County EMS about $350, based on the ambulance service’s annual operating expenses. By implementing the $350 service fee, Sparks said this will cover these costs and allow the service to break even.
In his letter to the Hatfield Fire Department, Sparks wrote that South County EMS expects to pay Hatfield “in kind” when its first responders go to Sunderland, Deerfield or Whately.
“We’re happy to continue doing regular service to Hatfield, but we can’t do it for free,” Sparks said.
Given the high costs of health care, Sparks described the $350 fee as “an incredible bargain” for Hatfield.
“I don’t want to see anybody lose access to emergency care; however, it’s unreasonable to expect the towns of Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately to pay for Hatfield’s overnight and weekend EMS,” Sparks added. “I hesitate to use the word ‘ultimatum,’ but if they can’t find a solution, that’s going to be my line in the sand.”
Hatfield Town Administrator Andrew Levine said the service fee did not come as a surprise.
“We have known for the last few years that other departments may institute assessments for services,” Levine said, “and this was one of the reasons we had a vote for an override last year.”
Levine added that all options are being explored in advance of preparing the town’s fiscal year 2027 budget, including fire and emergency medical technician (EMT) services, that will come to Annual Town Meeting in May.
In the meantime, Levine said the town plans to respond in the coming weeks to Sparks’ letter to gauge the ambulance service’s flexibility for reimbursement structures and “what would work best for both of us.” He hopes to come to an agreement soon.
Scott Merzbach contributed reporting.