I don't think it matters who is who. We are here to discuss the 'issues'. We all have opinions and some are not in line with others....so what? Perhaps we could all learn a thing or two from others and visa versa.
My humble opinion stands that Mohawk should be taking on Rotterdam's ambulance service. They are defiantly better equipped. And let us ask the surrounding counties that use them. Do they have a problem? I haven't heard that they have. Again I ask the question....did we or did we not just 'bail-out' the REMS cause they were in debt? HELLO!!!!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I like Mohawk very much and I like the Kingsway Arms VERY much from experiences I have had there. The McPartlons are good people.
The McPartlons are not going to jeopardize their name. GB, you are talking about a monopoly...well, there is Kingway Nursing home, but that didn't stop other nursing homes from popping up. There is Price Chopper, but they didn't stop any other markets from doing business. You can't compare Mohawk Ambulance to a utility company. There truly is no comparison.
Perhaps Mohawk is the only player in town...today...but what about tomorrow or next month or next year? And why does Rotterdam need it's own ambulance when Mohawk takes half of them any way? If REMS wants to join in the competition, let them become a legitimate business and bid for the job just like Mohawk. They should become a viable company with their own money and prove they can do the job. That is capitalism. Remember???
And again....did we or did we not 'bail-out' the REMS because they were in debt?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
He never ran on the line because Mark Blanchfield was endorsed and Salamone lost a primary to appear on the line. I don't know why anyone would want to be on the Communist WF line anyway.
I read an article in the Spotlight published a few weeks ago that the Saratoga Springs city government is facing a similar decision. It appears that SEMS is also in debt and lookiing for the city to provide funding needed to continue operations. There are three other ambulance services (including Mohawk) who have submitted bids to be awarded the contract. Each of the three private entities' bids result in revenue of differing amounts for the city. Perhaps, someone could locate that story online and post it to this forum thread. It was in the Saratoga Springs edition. It will be interesting to see how that community handles the issue.
SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL HEARS EMS BID (SARATOGA COUNTY, SARATOGA SPRINGS)
Posted on: 03/04/09 Ariana Cohn, Reporter email: cohna@spotlightnews.com
Three Capital District emergency medical were vying to serve Saratoga Springs Wednesday, Feb. 25, when they presented slideshows of their track records to the City Council and nearly 50 members of the public.
The companies, Empire EMS, Mohawk Ambulance Service and Saratoga Emergency Medical Services, were asked by Public Safety Commissioner Ron Kim to present their companies in a workshop at Town Hall so that the public would get an opportunity to learn more about the choices that lie ahead for the Council.
“Really, it’s a way to sort of air out the proposals,” Kim said, before explaining that even before these “tough economic times,” he began looking into the issue of whether the city’s EMS was bringing in as much revenue as it could be.
Saratoga Emergency Medical Services, or SEMS, has been serving the city for the past 40 years. Its vice president, George Miller, said the company does not have a plan for an increased stream of revenue, and it was the only company that did not present the council with an expected revenue amount.
“I had actually hoped that they would come across with a better revenue plan without taxpayers footing the bill,” Kim said.
Chief Operating Officer for Empire EMS Michael Aquino’s proposal outlined that they would pay the city $100,000 in rent at the new West Avenue location, as well as bring in $185,000 in Advanced Life Support reimbursement, totaling $285,000 in revenue for the city.
Aquino also said the company has an average response time of eight minutes or less, and that the latest in technology is used in Empire’s vehicles, including GPS tracking.
“Our highest priority will be to the people of Saratoga Springs and neighboring areas,” he said.
Mohawk agreed to pay “fair market value” for rent, and expected to bring in about $140,000 to $180,000 in ALS reimbursement, according to Vice President of Operations Richard Brandt.
“We have a proven record for success,” Brandt said, before reminding council members and the public that Mohawk is the preferred ambulance service of the New York Racing Association during the Saratoga track season, as well as during concert events at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Both Mohawk and Empire presented a plan to maintain 24/7 dispatch service, and Mohawk promised to have a minimum of two dispatchers by the phone at one time.
Aside from claiming to be “the largest provider of EMS in the Capital Region,” Brandt also presented an offer for Mohawk to buy SEMS’ equipment at fair market value should they not be chosen for the bid.
While SEMS does have a history with the town, its existence is at stake, Miller explained, with the entire requests for proposal process.
“The income derived from choosing one of the other bids is approximately 0.5 percent of the city’s 2009 budget,” Miller said during the presentation. “Is that enough to offset the loss of more than 30 jobs and the loss of a not-for-profit agency which has served the city for 40 years?”
Miller said SEMS can’t compete, as a not-for-profit, with the for-profit agencies that presented their proposals that night, but that, “Our ambulances say ‘Saratoga’ on their sides, not a corporate entity.”
While Kim said he understands SEMS has been servicing the city for the past number of years, “We can’t not look at this.”
Kim would not comment on whether he was in favor of SEMS continuing service for the City of Saratoga Springs, but he did say, “I have, in the past, bid out the same contracts, but it’s also important to know what’s out there in the market.”
When asked if the main concern with this issue was the money, Kim responded that the other primary issue is the ALS, but that the city now knows one company is willing to pay $100,000 rent.
“This is real money,” he said.
Kim said there is no timetable for when a decision needs to be made on which EMS company will service the town. But as the employees of SEMS await a decision on their company’s fate, Miller wanted to remind council members and the public that, “If SEMS goes away, it can’t come back.”
As far as I know, Graham Bonnet is Graham Bonnet and Joe S is Joe S. I think you are mistaken, Gadfly. In any event, He doesn't seem to disagree with you about a taxing district or unionization, as far as I know. But we should wait until we hear HIM say it, as well as the other GOPPERS in elected office. Criticizing them preemptively isn't really fair, if you don't know or aren't sure where they stand. By the way, anyone want to contract out your utilities with anyone other than National Grid? I asked earlier. Didn't really get the response on that.
If you think that once the REMS is gone, Mohawk (under any new incarnation or owners) will remain the best and cheapest option, then you must not have any experience with monopolies. I like Mohawk very much and I like the Kingsway Arms VERY much from experiences I have had there. The McPartlons are good people. But that does not mean keeping the local squad viable as they come out of their troubled period is not a good plan- IN THE ABSENCE of a 'taxing district.' That is MY OPINION.
Whatever you say..."he" has said nothing either way (another Joe trait - always wants to be safely in the middle on the controversial issues. Re: suggesting a "compromise" of $10 million for Metrograft instead of just saying NO to the $25 million requested). As for the GOPERS (now they're not just the Board, or officials in general - they're GOPERS, up for election this year -Joe!), well...I think their passing a resolution for another one of Steve's "studies" for this district is an indication of their intentions. Further, I was told by Town Attorney Gerard Parisi that the "process" would take some time, likely several months, as there would need to be public hearings, legal work, etc. That, to me, does not sound like an administration opposed to this tax (with the lone exception of Mertz).
And they never come out of their "troubled period", it has been an endless cycle...precisely why it is time to concede to the fact that this will never change because they are not business managers, if nothing else. Even one of their supporters noted at a meeting about this that they do not run REMS like a business and they need to...adding that he believed that this is why they have never been able to gain solid financial footing. It is also why Mohawk is a viable and profitable company: The EMTs are EMTs, and the office personnel are business managers.
Not that National Grid has anything to do with this debate, but there ARE other ambulance companies out there, albeit much smaller. However, they really are not equipped to meet the full spectrum EMS to serve an entire municipality 24/7. They cannot house an ambulance here or provide the additional back up in multiple emergencies, etc.
And as for other municipalities, unlike the "GOPERS" supporting this, I have researched this in other towns with municipal EMS. The closest example with comparable demographics is the Town of Bethlehem, Albany County. They started with the same emotionally based arguments and "small" fees too. Within just a few years, that "small" fee has risen to over $100.00 and continues to rise... with no way out.
BIGGER PICTURE.........national healthcare and consolidation.........G-20 anyone?????? why do we think it would be 'cheaper' or 'expensive' either way????
the ONLY 'cheaper' option is to let the large companies in a county pay for it out of 'concern for their sheeple'........having said that leads to those giant tax deferments for the company bellying up to take advantage........
Bigger bigger bigger picture..............
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
I'm sure that we have all received our letter from REMS asking for a gift of $100. The letter states that even with the monies it will receive from Rotterdam, Princetown, Medicare and Insurance payments, it will not cover the massive debt they are left with. Now with that being said, why would our elected officials sign a contract with a company in massive debt? What if they can't meet the monetarydemand with these letters? This should have been resolved and should have been a viable company BEFORE we started giving them our 'bail-out'.
My second and most concerning issue is that this letter states that it is a BLS (Basice Life Support) operation. Why wouldn't our town board have opted for an ambulance service that is trained in ALS (Advanced Life Support)? Mohawk has that training. And they are not in debt. They are not only a viable business, they also have superior care.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Looking at my letter, I must have gotten the wrong one. The salutation says, Dear Business owner. And it does ask for $100 or more. My parents got theirs and the salutation was Dear Resident and it does ask for $25.00. So they must have just put the wrong letter in the envelope. The one I got was on yellow paper and the one my parents got was on white.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
well this is because the repubs ran the thing into the ground and Signore and Mertz and Surhada ruined REMS and now want to charge people for it when IT WAS ALWAYS FREE UNDER THE DEMOS SO WAKE UP OVER HERE AND SEE WHAT THESE REPUBS ARE DOING TO OUR HOME -TOWN ALREADY PEOPLE WAKE UP STUNADS
I was a member of the ambulance squad when it was an all volunteer unit and the residents thought it was free, but the town and the ambulance squad had to find the funds to support the service so it was never free. There is no free lunch someone is picking up the tab.
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