If you missed the recent article , “Brattleboro faces blaze of firefighter departures amid town EMS takeover debate,” here is the link:
The takeaway quote, I believe, is: “ …since … June of last year, 16 staffers have departed. Of the latter firefighters who quit, five had worked multiple years before leaving, while 11 had been hired just days, weeks or months before their departures ….”
(emphasis added).
These facts have led to speculation that new employees do not want to work in the medical field. However, others might argue that there are other factors that could be contributing to the shortage, such as higher pay in other towns, the availability of housing, and high taxes. It is possible that the issue is not simply about the ambulance service.
A way to resolve this speculation is to release the de-identified exit interview documents so the actual reasons for this turnover could be known..
Legal footnote:
It has been stated that the Public Records Act is clear in that public agencies are not to withhold entire documents just because some content is exempt. In that situation, the appropriate course would be to redact the exempt content and then produce the record with an explanation of the basis for withholding the redacted text. 1 V.S.A. § 318(e).
SelectBoard Meeting this evening: https://www.brattleboro.org/
