Published: 09/07/2007
Selectmen nix town-run ambulance at the fair
By Ethan Forman
Staff writer
TOPSFIELD - The selectmen have turned down a potential money-making opportunity for the town to run an ambulance service at the Topsfield Fair.
Like the fair, Topsfield contracts with Lyons Ambulance Service to transport patients, and the Fire Department does not run a full-time service.
At the end of July, fair General Manager James O'Brien said in a letter he was considering going out to bid on the service, and he offered Topsfield first dibs and a stipend of $14,000 to retain the town ambulance service.
Fire Chief Ronald P. Giovannacci estimated the town could have netted $15,508 on 17 transports, factoring in extra revenue minus expenses.
"We have the equipment and we have the staff to do it, just selectmen chose at this time not to do it," Giovannacci said.
Selectmen told Giovannacci at a working meeting Aug. 21 to reject O'Brien's offer. Selectmen Chairman John McArdle said the board read O'Brien's letter at Monday's meeting.
"A couple of years ago, the fire chief presented a plan to go into the ambulance business," McArdle said. "And the town voted it down, and what the fair was offering was for the town's Fire Department to be the ambulance service for 10 days and we said the town voted against it. It was a no-brainer."
In May 2005, Town Meeting rejected Giovannacci's plan to hire four firefighters to man two new ambulances. "That is a fairly serious business decision," McArdle said, "that is not something you are going to do on a week-a-year basis."
However, Giovannacci said his department has been running an advanced life support ambulance, which provides stepped-up care from a basic life support ambulance, since 1999. The town has two ambulances, Rescue 1 and Rescue 2, the latter a donation from Middleton.
Selectman Stephen Clark said the town does have a license to run an ambulance, but it is for emergencies when Lyons needs a hand.
"There are just too many issues out there that affect other parts of town services that I just don't want to go there," Clark said.
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