First things first. Things are looking a little different on page 6 this week.
You’ll notice things have been rearranged, but more importantly, we’ve added a sidebar we plan to make a running feature: The word on the street.
We’ve been running a weekly online poll for some time now, and through it and our letters page we find members of our community are generally more than eager to give their opinions on the issues of the day. We decided to take that one step further by featuring a few local voices here on the opinion page, then letting the community as a whole weigh in on the weekly question at our website.
A Spotlight reporter will be at a public place sometime during the week before the feature’s publication gathering opinions. If you spot a Spotlight-er, feel free to say “hi.” This presents us with another opportunity for us to get to know you, and vice versa.
Editor’s Note: You can also see this new feature on our website within the `Opinion` section under `On the street.` The online version may feature longer answers from those questioned.
Moving on, we aren’t the only institution in town that’s trying something new this year. Reporter Marcy Velte this past week covered the annual Community Awards that recognized Bethlehem’s outstanding first responders. Among the awards handed out was one for the newly formed Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, which was awarded to the entire membership for “their ability to set aside personnel differences for the health and safety of town residents.”
You see, a merger of Delmar EMS and Bethlehem EMS became effective as of the first of this year, effectively combining two separate services into an ambulance corps that covers the entire town. And we think the organization as a whole should be recognized for that groundbreaking effort, and even treated as a trailblazer in this regard.
We’ll have to wait for the real-world figures to roll in, but the town’s District Board of Ambulance Commissioners estimated the merger would result in about a $100,000 decrease in the tax levy. Maintaining quality of service while reducing taxes qualifies as a win in our book.
Not everyone was initially on board with the plan, though. When the aforementioned board came out with the idea in September of 2012, it was said the merger was being met with some resistance, and EMS leaders said the timetable was too aggressive. Nevertheless, a scant three months later, a combined EMS force was online.
Government does not typically move at anything approaching that speed. It says a lot about the leadership in these organizations that rubber was wedded with road so quickly. Likewise, it speaks to the caliber of those riding with EMS in Bethlehem, volunteer or paid, that everyone was willing to adapt.
There’s a lesson here that can be applied elsewhere.
There are five fire departments serving the people of Bethlehem (seven if you count the multiple arms of the Selkirk Fire Department). A 2011 study, commissioned collectively by those departments, suggested they be merged into two organizations and finally, in a decade’s time, a singular unit.
There’s effectively been zero movement on the suggestion — indeed, when we originally reported on the study’s findings some firefighters basically shrugged the idea off despite an agreement it would save money and even help firefighters do a better job. It would seem that for many, autonomy and individual identity is more important than effectiveness, even in a job so serious as fighting fires.
What’s happened with the town’s ambulance service challenges that outmoded thinking. These organizations found a way to organize a speedy merger that saved money, and lo and behold, the world kept turning. For fire departments, it might be time for another look at consolidation — a serious one, this time.