A new chapter for Stratford EMS
For more than 30 years, the dedicated volunteers and staff of Stratford EMS have cared for residents in their hour of need. EMS is an institution that is uniquely Stratford, serving a large, aged population almost entirely with volunteer emergency medical technicians at virtually no cost to the taxpayers.
Unfortunately, town government has for too long failed to match its words of praise for the service EMS provides with the actions needed to ensure the continued success and growth of the department. Elected leaders of the past preferred to ignore EMS and let it operate on auto-pilot rather than treat it as the critical public safety provider it is.
The consequences of town government’s failure to actively engage the department are spelled out in an independent, third-party assessment of Stratford EMS commissioned by my office. That report found that while the medical service we provide is top notch, the department leaves more than $500,000 of revenue on the table each year by referring calls to private ambulance services due to a shortage of volunteers. EMS gets by, but it hasn’t been given the tools or attention necessary to grow.
I don’t think that just getting by is enough, and I know that the volunteers and staff who put their hearts and souls into Stratford EMS agree. They deserve better from town government, as do the residents and patients who rely on EMS for help.
That is why I am proud to announce several long-overdue reforms to Stratford EMS that will allow the department to reach its true potential and better serve our town while remaining a volunteer force.
First, Stratford EMS will be elevated to a stand-alone public safety agency just like our police and fire departments, headed by a full department chief answering directly to the mayor. No longer will EMS be subordinated to one town department or another to be put out of sight of political leaders and made someone else’s problem. When decisions affecting the health and safety of Stratford residents are being made, EMS will have a seat at the table and the chief given full authority to manage his or her department.
This reorganization will improve the chain of command at EMS and speed decision-making in both emergency response and day-to-day management. In addition, it will eliminate the volunteer “officer” positions that had been handed out as political patronage by former town officials and have hurt morale within the ranks.
I have also ordered that a third ambulance and crew be placed in service Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in order to reduce the town’s reliance on mutual aid and private services.
The first task for Stratford’s new EMS chief will be to submit a comprehensive plan for recruitment and retention of volunteer EMTs. This plan is essential to reducing our reliance on private ambulance services and mutual aid with other towns, and thus increasing the revenue generated by the department.
Stratford EMS cannot meet its demand for services unless we are able to retain enough volunteer manpower each day of the week. We routinely lose good volunteers to surrounding towns or private ambulance companies. I want that flight of talent from Stratford to stop. Now.
My administration will give enhanced support from other departments to EMS, as well. All billing and collections will be fully outsourced as a cost-saving measure, and improved hiring procedures will be implemented to slash wait times and red tape for new volunteers. Minimum hours of service will be enforced for all employees each month, and continuing education will be heavily encouraged for volunteers and paid staff alike.
These changes will allow us to focus more resources on providing medical care while ensuring that the entire department is well-trained and tested. Most importantly, investment in the professional development of our medical technicians will make Stratford a place volunteers want to work. EMS cannot and will not reach its full potential unless it has the full support of the town’s administration. For the first time in many years, it will receive that support.
Let me be clear that neither I nor the assessment report fault any particular individual or group of individuals at EMS for the problems that have been identified. EMS has suffered from a lack of attention from Town Hall, not from a lack of good people working and volunteering there. The department has done the best it could with what it was given by those in charge.
However, I know that those who have put the time and effort into building Stratford EMS want to be given the tools and support they need to answer more calls and provide a more advanced level of care to our community.
Starting this year, they will finally get their wish.
John A. Harkins is the mayor of Stratford.
