The letter the Town sent to Rescue re: Mutual Aid:
“June 23, 2022
Rescue Inc.
P.O. Box 593
Brattleboro, VT 05302
Chief Hazelton & Members of the Rescue Inc. Board,
On behalf of the Town of Brattleboro, I am writing to follow up from the meeting on June 6, 2022, regarding EMS Mutual Aid. The Town appreciates the many years of excellent service Rescue Inc. has provided to Brattleboro and wishes continued award-winning success for Rescue Inc.’s service to other communities in our region. We look forward to rebuilding a healthy working relationship between the two entities towards our shared goal of maintaining the health and safety of the people we serve.
Below our FY23 service plan is outlined, in hopes that this information will clarify the capacity at which we are asking Rescue Inc. to engage in Mutual Aid.
The response model the Brattleboro Fire Department (BFD) will be implementing starting July 1 utilizes a hybrid system of personnel and 3 ambulances in partnership with Golden Cross and utilizes other first response vehicles and BFD staff to provide timely responses. This response model is much like our current system, where BFD staff and engines are first responders and at times first on the scene to EMS calls. The Brattleboro Fire Department has been working with its staff to achieve EMT, AEMT and Paramedic training and will be encouraging staff to achieve these certifications with generous incentives. At the moment we have 1 Paramedic, 5 AEMTs and 16 EMTs on staff. This system can respond to multiple incidents at once:
- Ambulance #1 – 1 Golden Cross Staff / 1 BFD Staff
- Ambulance #2 – 1 Golden Cross Staff / 1 BFD Staff
- Engine #2 – 2 BFD Staff
- Engine #1 (West Brattleboro) – 2 BFD Staff
- Ambulance #3 (West Brattleboro) – Staffed w/ callback or Engine #1 staff
Town staff and BFD leadership believe that this level of response will be more than sufficient to serve the EMS needs of this community, and when compared to similar sized towns and even some larger towns, this plan is robust.
To clarify our request for an EMS Mutual Aid agreement, what the town is seeking is Rescue Inc.’s willingness
A. to respond to a mass casualty event in Brattleboro, like a multi-vehicle crash, and operate at the scene under direction from the Brattleboro Fire Department or our Golden Cross partners, and in collaboration with our other mutual aid partners – and to accept Mutual Aid support from Brattleboro in the case of a nearby mass casualty event.
B. to respond to an EMS Mutual Aid call from Brattleboro if there are ever more than 4 simultaneous emergency calls within an hour in Brattleboro – and to accept similar Mutual Aid from Brattleboro if support is needed to expedite response time or ensure coverage. We understand that both situations would be unlikely to occur, but a Mutual Aid agreement to cover this rarity with a local partner could give everyone additional peace of mind on both sides of the partnership.
Brattleboro has already secured commitments for EMS Mutual Aid with Keene Fire Department, Diluzio Ambulance, Greenfield Fire Department, Deerfield Valley Ambulance, Swanzey Fire Department, Northfield Ambulance, Golden Cross Westminster, Winchester Ambulance, Turner Falls Ambulance, and Springfield Fire Department. We would like to add Rescue Inc. to this team of collaborators.
Other organizations who will engage in EMS Mutual Aid with the Town of Brattleboro provide the service without charge. However, we are open to negotiating a price for EMS Mutual Aid from Rescue Inc. based upon a reasonable fee per incident from the Town on top of what Rescue Inc. might bill the patient or the patient’s insurance.
A major element of EMS Mutual Aid is the idea that not all circumstances can be foreseen or planned for. These large-scale emergencies call for all hands-on deck. An agreement to provide reciprocal EMS Mutual Aid would be a manifestation of both our institutions’ commitment to public safety and the wellbeing of the people of our region.
We know for both of our institutions that our community’s safety is paramount. We want to thank you for the time you took in meeting with us. We remain committed to our shared mission and look forward to the next time that we are formally engaged with you in service to the public.
Respectfully,
Patrick Moreland
Interim Town Manager”
