Valley ambulance crews in Ansonia, Derby and Shelton are coming up with back-up plans in case CMED New Haven, a radio dispatch service, goes away.
Meanwhile, a meeting has been scheduled for Monday with Gov. Dannel Malloy’s office to discuss the situation.
What Is CMED New Haven?
CMED New Haven is the South Central Connecticut Regional Emergency Communications System. It is based in New Haven.
CMED New Haven dispatchers act as the link between the public and Valley ambulance crews being sent to help.
CMED also dispatches the Derby Fire Department and Valley Emergency Medical Services (VEMS), the lower Valley’s paramedic service.
The organization coordinates ambulance-to-hospital communication in the lower Valley, along with coordinating mutual aid responses.
Finally, local towns use specially-trained CMED dispatchers who can walk callers through medical emergencies, ranging from how to do CPR to how to deliver a baby, if need be.
What’s The Issue?
The service is paid for by the 18 member towns, but some of the largest municipalities — New Haven and West Haven — are pulling out of the arrangement because they pay far too much money for the services CMED New Haven provides for them, according to the New Haven Register.
Leaders from the larger towns argue they subsidize the smaller communities — a statement not contradicted by EMS leaders locally.
There was talk of CMED cutting its budget by 30 percent in order to keep New Haven and West Haven happy, but the CMED New Haven executive director did not attend a June 11 meeting scheduled to hash out the budget cuts.
Instead, CMED New Haven sent a letter saying it couldn’t cut its budget by $666,000 and still survive.
Gary Stango, the CMED New Haven executive director, also sent word to his staff that he was going on vacation until July 1.
CMED New Haven’s lack of communication angered ambulance corps leaders throughout the Naugatuck Valley, who said they don’t know where they stand with the organization, or who’s leading it.
“(The vacation) coincides with the end of his contract with date, so we don’t know if he left or if he’s really on vacation. We’re all up in the air,” said VEMS executive director Robert Pettinella, echoing statements made by several others.
However, Bethany First Selectman Derrylyn Gorski, who serves as the chairman of the CMED New Haven Board of Directors, said Stango is still the group’s executive director.
“He went on vacation. The man just bought a house. He’s taking some time off to paint a house,” she said.
Gorski said CMED New Haven is still negotiating with the City of New Haven over how much the city pays for its services. The city pays roughly $350,000 a year toward CMED. The city previously rejected a proposal that would have dropped the contribution to $283,000, Gorski said.
Gorski said she is scheduled to meet with New Haven city officials on Wednesday, June 18 to further discuss the matter.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, because I don’t know what New Haven’s reaction will be,” she said. “I’m hoping we can get them down closer to (a dollar amount) where they won’t completely dismantle a system that has been in existence for 35 years over a few thousand dollars.”
Local Reaction
Local ambulance leaders have been busy discussing back-up dispatch scenarios. In addition, local they have been talking about switching to Northwest CT Public Safety, an emergency dispatch group based in Prospect.
Derby Storm Ambulance Chief David Lenart said the situation is being closely monitored in the Valley, and locally there have been constant meetings happening.
Lenart’s brother, Tom Lenart, Jr., is the chief of the Derby Fire Department. Derby is prepared to have the Derby Police Department dispatch fire and ambulance services on a temporary basis if need be, Lenart said.
But he doesn’t think CMED New Haven is going to disappear overnight. The Valley has plenty of time to plan for whatever is going to happen.
“CMED is still working with us to get back to us with something,” Tom Lenart said.
As it stands, taxpayers in Derby are only paying about $35,000 a year for CMED New Haven’s services. Ansonia pays about $42,000 per year. Shelton pays $71,000 per year to CMED New Haven.
Those prices will likely go up — by a lot — if local towns go to another service. The price is also likely to go up if the locals stay with CMED New Haven, given the fact the City of New Haven wants to pay less.
Pettinella said regardless of the questions surrounding CMED New Haven, it is probably time to look for his organization, VEMS, at the least, to look for another dispatch company.
“The technology CMED has is extremely old,” Pettinella said. Most information is still relayed over radios, when most of the world is using on-board computers and smart phones to assist in emergency dispatch.
“In the field we don’t get information as timely or as detailed as we should,” Pettinella said.
The Malloy Sit-down
Jared Heon, chief of Ansonia Rescue Medical Services, said Gov. Malloy has asked for a meeting between Malloy’s chief of staff and a CMED Board of Directors subcommittee, which is made up of operational chiefs from most of the towns served by CMED.
The meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday in Hartford.
Heon is going to that meeting, as is David Lenart, and others.
“Everyone is aware of the situation and working toward a solution. There are contingency plans already in place, so public safety isn’t and won’t be comprised. Help will arrive if called up. We’re just looking for short-terms and long term solutions here,” Heon said.
Shelton’s Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management Services, Michael Maglione, said Friday that the city is waiting to see what happens in Hartford Monday.
Shelton’s EMS Commission is scheduled to meet Monday night, he said, where he’ll provide them with an update.
“We’ll see what comes back,” he said. “I’d hate to see the organization disappear from the face of the earth. It does provide a vital service, but at a cost level that’s not appropriate.”
