Jerome “Jerry” Schwab will continue as the president of the Valley Emergency Medical Services board of directors.
But it took three votes, calls to two attorneys and an inconclusive check of Robert’s Rules of Orders to get to that point Thursday night.
The hour-long ordeal took place at the VEMS board meeting Thursday at Seymour Ambulance headquarters.
Schwab is the director of the Oxford Ambulance Association.
VEMS is a regional paramedic service for the Valley, that is overseen by the board of directors made up of Valley EMS leaders.
Competition
Two members of the board — Schwab and Seymour Ambulance director Scott Andrews — were nominated for the president’s position.
In a secret paper ballot, Schwab and Andrews each received six votes.
The board voted again.
In a second secret paper ballot, Schwab and Andrews again received six votes each.
Then the rule books came out.
Board members searched through board policies, looked online for Robert’s Rules of Orders and called attorneys Dominick Thomas and Ansonia counsel Kevin Blake for guidance on how to continue.
Blake advised the board to simply keep trying.
And on a third secret vote, one person gave in and abstained from voting.
That abstention tilted the favor toward Schwab, who won the third vote 6 to 5.
Discontent
Only one member of the board spoke publicly about the process.
“We are going to sit here and vote all night because there are too many personalities on board,” board secretary Shannon McDaniels said. “We are in charge of people’s lives and we need to do what is best for people who work for us and the people we serve.
“We need to put someone in place who is going to give us the support we need,” she said. “Keep that in mind —not your personal agendas.”
It’s not clear what reasons the members had for their votes, because no one commented on it.
Schwab has had a rough year.
Last July, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Ansonia. He said at the time that he believed he suffered a seizure from being hypoglycemic, He failed sobriety tests police gave him but a urine test came back clean save for drugs he was prescribed to take by a doctor.
Ultimately he agreed to participate in an alcohol education program, and was ordered to pay a fine and do community service which cost $500. He also had to attend a victim impact panel organized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Last summer, someone also ransacked Schwab’s home, stealing and damaging some of his property.
Board President Speaks
Schwab said he wants to continue the progress that has been made in recent years.
“We have been moving forward in terms of equipment and hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money we have received,” he said. “I think this is a drastically different organization from when I took over five years ago and I want to continue to move forward.”
