The Valley Council of Governments will conduct an investigation of the Valley Emergency Medical Services, in the wake of a controversy surrounding an out-of-state car accident in a VEMS paramedic truck.
The Council of Governments board is made up of leaders from Ansonia, Derby, Seymour and Shelton. Those towns are asked to pay annual fees to VEMS to keep it running.
VEMS is a paramedic service.
The Valley Council of Governments voted March 14 to have its lawyer “conduct a fact-finding” into VEMS to find out more about its policies and finances.
The goal is make sure everything is aboveboard.
“It’s going to look into everything,” Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri said. “The five communities each put in a nice sum of money, and if we’re going to put in money, we want to make sure everything is running correctly.”
VEMS asks the four Valley COG towns and Oxford to each pay $30,000 to help offset its operating costs.
Derby currently does not pay its share toward VEMS. Staffieri said that’s because he asked for more information from the regional paramedic service and didn’t receive it.
“If the City of Derby pays their hard-earned tax dollars into a system, I have the right to ask for information and get information,” Staffieri said.
VEMS officials have said they’ve given Derby any information requested.
Staffieri said the lawyer’s review — depending on what it says — could determine if Derby starts paying its share, or continues without contribution.
The Valley Council of Governments board already held a pow-wow where they questioned VEMS officials about the accident. Click here to read a story about that meeting.
The vote last week asks for a written report to be filed by VCOG’s own attorney.
VEMS Executive Director Robert Pettinella said he welcomed the review.
“I’m OK with that,” Pettinella said. “That’s good, actually. I would encourage someone to come in and check out everything we have. Quite frankly, it will put to rest all the scuttlebutt that’s been going on for years, saying that VEMS is a mystery.”
At the meeting in January, Pettinella provided the Valley leaders with binders filled with information and offered to give more. Pettinella said he is “an open book.”
“I’m hoping they understand the service they get is second to none,” Pettinella said. “I think they’re going to find out they get quite a bit of service for quite a little bit of money.”
The Accident
The calls for review were prompted by an accident in a VEMS truck back in Dec. 21.
VEMS board treasurer Madalene Taggart was in a car accident while driving VEMS’s new Ford Expedition on a personal trip back from Virginia on Dec. 21.
Taggart was hit by a tractor trailer truck, while the truck tried to avoid another accident.
Taggart and two passengers escaped injury.
The incident raised concerns among other VEMS board members, who weren’t aware the truck was being taken out of state.
The VEMS board reviewed the use of the truck and found that there weren’t any policies to prevent a board member from using company vehicles -— even on out-of-state personal trips.
Since the review in late December, the VEMS board changed its existing vehicle use policies to include board members.
The board also decided to change its existing practice of putting 2,000 miles on new VEMS trucks before putting them into service. That was the reason the truck was being used in an out-of-state trip, Schwab said.
The board decided not to discipline anyone for the incident.
Valley COG Review
In January, Valley COG held a special meeting where the mayors from Ansonia, Derby and Shelton, along with the First Selectman from Seymour, questioned VEMS officials about the accident.
The leaders said they were happy with the work VEMS paramedics do, but they were concerned about oversight and the Board of Directors for VEMS.
Staffieri, on Wednesday, said he wanted an external review of VEMS to allay his concerns.
“I’d like to get this done as quickly as possible,” Staffieri said. “That’s why I’ve had my office start doing research.”