Silver Lake approves Salem emergency contract 6-1

By Gail Peckler-Dziki~Correspondent

The Village Board of Silver Lake approved a contract with the Town of Salem EMS Paramedic service in a vote of six to one at a committee of the whole meeting held March 19.

Former Silver Lake Rescue Squad president Dan Gerber stepped down and vice president Wendy Lasco is the new president. Trustee Sue Gerber was able to vote ‘no’ on the issue and not be in violation of the ethics ordinance.

President Jeff Albrecht released a statement that reads in part, “Silver Lake is a 1.5 square mile village with 2,500 residents and our property taxes are squeezed to the max. We must find better, more efficient and innovative ways to run our village government and the services it provides, while still keeping taxes down.”

“For the past two years,” the statement continues, “taxes have decreased and village services have remained strong.  However, our Fire Department equipment is aging, and volunteer personnel, as it is everywhere these days, is shrinking.

Your board determined that we must find additional funding to support fire, both now and for many years in the future without raising taxes.”

Albrecht noted that the Silver Lake Rescue service is rated at an IV Tech level, the third of five possible competencies. Salem is at Paramedic level, the highest and most skilled level.

Albrecht wrote, “There was a desire to have Paramedic service for all of our citizens on every EMS call…the decision was for better emergency medical care for Silver Lake residents and to contract our services via Salem Township.”

The Silver Lake Fire Department is already certified as first responder. Silver Lake fire chief Andrew MacFalane said that by the end of summer, with new members and those finishing up school, 20 of the department’s 26 volunteers will have some level of emergency certification.

“I am a paramedic,” he explained. “Five of our firefighters are certified as first responders. In addition, two are waiting for their certifications and two are in school for first responder. One member has an EMS basic responder certification, six are IV technicians and one member is a registered nurse.”

The village is waiting to hear back from the Salem town board. A special board meeting that was scheduled for March 26 was canceled. Salem Fire Chief Mike Slover is on vacation. The agreement with Salem would not go into effect until May 1.

MacFarlane said in a later telephone interview that should the Salem town board also approve the contract, he plans to sit down with Slover to work out training details.

“I would like to see our firefighters that are certified at various levels for rescue be able to rise along on the Salem ambulances so they can see and experience what happens after that first initial patient contact. Eventually, Silver Lake fire would want to carry certain medications on the engines and increase our certification.

MacFarlane said his department wants to bring the best care possible to Silver Lake residents for the least amount of money.

“It’s about making sure Silver Lake residents receive the best possible patient care,” MacFarlane said. ‘The firefighters with emergency certification that rise on those ambulances will learn more and become better EMTs.”

Former Silver Lake Rescue Squad president Dan Gerber gave a written statement regarding the Silver Lake board action:

“We feel it’s unfortunate that throughout this endeavor that we have been negotiating in good faith with the village board, the comments at many of the meetings were in strong support of Silver Lake Rescue Squad Inc., many asking for a referendum on the item, but those constituent requests went on deaf ears among President Albrecht, Trustee Decker, Trustee Dunn, Trustee Schwebke, Trustee Snow, and Trustee Wilbur.

“They stated they have a lot of supporters of the idea of going with EMS service with the Town of Salem but not many of them showed up to the meetings to voice their support.”

“We also understand that the concept of the Town of Salem providing ‘free’ service to the Village of Silver Lake is appealing.”

Gerber’s statement continued, “As their ‘proposed contract’ states, according to President Albrecht, but for how long is that appeal going to last? The Village of Paddock Lake does not get free service from the Town of Salem, the Town of Brighton does not get free service from the Town of Salem, the Town of Salem residents do not get free service?

“What happens when that appeal is gone, we understand there may or may not be some sharing of services regarding fire but the ‘proposed contract’ sounds like maybe they may share services.

Continuing, Gerber’s statement said, “Silver Lake Rescue Squad Inc., is going to provide the quality rescue service the residents of the Village of Silver Lake have come to know until March 31, 2013, at which time the Town of Salem will take over – if that is the case?

“We asked Chairman of Emergency Government Trustee Cyndy Scwebke last night if we are done on March 31, 2013 and her answer was ‘I don’t know.’

“This is really not a good answer when your playing with emergency services. So we are also waiting to see what the Town of Salem’s response is as well; I do not think this ‘proposed contract’ has gone before the Town of Salem Board yet.”

“As far as President Albrecht’s statement that the board has no agreement to consider from Silver Lake Rescue Squad Inc. We have two proposals actually signed by myself are waiting for discussion as well as several other options and proposals that were being discussed with Trustee Snow.

“We have one for a flat fee of $7,500 per year for two years so that they could allow $19,000 per year to be infused to the fire department to help strengthen as were the original starting of these discussion and we also had a proposal that basically took out Salem’s name and placed ours in their place – if they wanted to discuss that we would have been more than happy as stated in the proposal to have our attorney and the village attorney make the correct wordage in that contract, but apparently they did not want to discuss that.”

“Fortunately we are a strong organization and will continue to provide service to the other municipalities we serve and wish everyone well in the endeavor, we have been very happy to be able to dedicate the last 53 years to the residents of the Village of Silver Lake.

In a later telephone interview, Albrecht commented, “This contract is no different from other contracts for services that come before the board. We review the facts and make a decision as to what is best for the citizens of our village. We don’t have a referendum when we need to change insurance carriers or garbage companies. This is the village board’s job to handle these things. This is why we were elected.”

Silver Lake trustee Soti Wilber said that Salem clarified certain points in the contract, especially the stand-by and additional $100 that Salem would be willing to charge Silver Lake residents per call that would be given to the village.

“I was never in favor of that $100,” she said in a later telephone interview. “If insurance will pay standard costs, that $100 would probably be above and beyond that. We don’t want to see our residents charged like that.”

The stand-by charge category would be under very limited circumstances and would not be a large cost. In fact, the types of stand-by covered in that clause have happened in Salem twice in 20 years, according to Wilber who quoted information given by Slover.

The Salem contract, which would begin May 1, 2013, is good until 2025.


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