After nearly eight months, the final element being negotiated in the contract between the Town of Colonie and New York State Police for the Emergency Medical Services LifeGuard Air Rescue Program, was passed at the Thursday, March 12, Town Board meeting.
The EMS LifeGuard Air Rescue Program is a program that joins EMS personnel and State Police on helicopter rescue missions.
The resolution called for a modification of the contract, which now allows EMS personnel to fly in the co-pilot seat in the front of the aircraft and serve as a lookout.
Originally, according to Town Attorney Michael Magguilli, the town did not want EMS personnel sitting in the front of the aircraft because of liability to the town in the event of an accident. Under the new contract, State Police would assume full liability should an accident occur.
Thursday’s vote marks the end of a lengthy dispute between the town and LifeGuard proponents that began July 10 when EMS personnel crowded the back of the room at a regular Town Board meeting, holding yellow fliers that urged town officials to reverse a decision by Supervisor Paula Mahan to not renew a contract between the town and state police to continue the program.
The program, which began in 1993, is made up of more than a dozen participants and flies an average of 100 missions per year.
Originally, the supervisor sought to not continue the contract for several reasons, one of which was that the flights took town EMS personnel away from their coverage area, where the supervisor said they are meant to be available.
Another reason the supervisor wanted to end the contract was the liability issue should something go wrong.
During the July meeting, EMS Responder Mary Pat Provost read aloud from the handout many of the EMS personnel attending the meeting were holding.
Is the flight program dangerous? A lot of what we are asked to do is dangerous! she said. `Working with emotionally disturbed patients is dangerous, treating patients with AIDS, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases is dangerous. Is the board suggesting we should stop all of these activities? We dare say no.`
That meeting sparked a several-months-long public debate between the supervisor and EMS personnel, culminating at an Aug. 14 public hearing in which the Town Board voted to extend the program until Dec. 31, at which time officials would decide whether to re-enter a contract with state police.
During the five-hour meeting, Republican Councilman Brian Hogan made two attempts to amend the resolution, proposing at first the town extend the contract until Dec. 31, 2009, as well as another proposal to extend it to July 1, 2009. Both attempts failed.
In December, however, the Town Board decided to enter into a new contract after voting to keep the program alive, but with certain regulations.
Those regulations included only allowing the supervisor to adopt internal rules for the program, as opposed to the Colonie EMS chief; restricting family members of EMS personnel from flying on the helicopter; and prohibiting EMS personnel from sitting in the pilot or co-pilot seat.
The resolution adopted March 12 removed the provision banning EMS responders from the cockpit.
Magguilli said he is pleased the town was able to reach the new agreement with State Police, as the previous arrangement put the town in a bad position.
`Essentially, our people were acting as unpaid state employees,` Magguilli said.
United Public Service Employees Union Labor Representative Gary Favro, who has been defending the Colonie EMS personnel throughout the controversy, said this agreement is good for the town and police. Favro said having EMS personnel in the co-pilot seat helps with the safety of the flights.
`An extra pair of eyes when you’re going into a landing zone is a good thing,` he said.
Favro also said it is beneficial to have those eyes be those of EMS personnel, as that person is an added medic who can assist in the missions.
Overall, Favro said, he is pleased the contract has been renewed.
`I think it’s a win-win for everybody ` the town, the community, the EMS service,` he said. `In general, I think people will be happy.`
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