Salem will consider next week whether to approve a contract with Silver Lake for Salem to provide emergency medical services to Silver Lake.
The Silver Lake Village Board approved the contract March 20. Initially, Salem scheduled a special board meeting for March 26 to consider the agreement, but that meeting was cancelled. The Salem Town Board had its regular monthly meeting tonight, but town Chairman Diann Tesar said the matter was too big of an issue for that agenda. Instead she opted to slate it for the committee of the whole meeting next Monday.
“This would allow the board tonight to have a protracted discussion without rushing through to accomplish finishing the agenda,” Tesar said.
Also, some information the board requested is not yet available, Tesar added.
While their last formal agreement with the village expired March 31, Silver Lake Rescue has agreed to continue to cover the village in the interim.
Last year, Silver Lake began considering discontinuing its long-standing contract with Silver Lake Rescue Inc. in favor of an arrangement with Salem Fire/Rescue for EMS with Silver Lake Fire Department firefighters acting as first responders on medical calls. Silver Lake Rescue is a free standing entity while the Silver Lake Fire Department is part of the village government. The village has been paying Silver Lake Rescue $27,000 a year for its services. In theory, the agreement with Salem could let Silver Lake keep the $27,000 it now pays to Silver Lake Rescue to bolster fire department funds.
The agreement between Salem and Silver Lake will include no charge to the village for EMS services, though patients will still be billed, as they are by Silver Lake Rescue, Silver Lake village officials have said. Under the agreement, Silver Lake Fire Department will in the future provide fire protection services for an area of Salem located just northwest of the village boundaries.
I hope Salem Town Board considers this matter more thoroughly than Silver Lake did. Do us all a favor and throw this proposal OUT!!!!!! Keep Silver Lake Rescue Squad in Silver Lake. How can you be doing this service for “free” when other communities pay thousands of dollars for rescue service that you provide them?!?!?!
The statement “though the patients will be billed, as they are by Silver Lake Rescue” is not correct. They will be billed non-resident rates and also billed for patient assist called, which SLRS does not bill patients for. Many elderly at the Senior Center are concerned, since Medicare only covers a certain amount, they’ll be paying extra for the non-resident rates. The biggest concern is response time. Let me post an example – bee sting, allergic reaction, First Responders show up and can take vitals and do cpr if the person stops breathing? When SLRS could have been there at the same time giving the patient epi.
I think that since Salem and Trevor combined then why not add Silver Lake to it. Silver Lake will keep their$27,000 and no one will be hit. Since first responders r sometimes lowest paid but can do the same as Met basics why not use that extra money and give them a raise. Small communities should stick by and help each other out.
I’m confused. Why doesn’t Silver Lake rescue require the techs they have already to become certified paramedics? Why doesn’t Silver Lake rescue purchase the equipment to upgrade their level of care to match that of Salem’s? That seems to be the deciding factor here, right? Step up your game Silver Lake rescue! You need to compete now. Quit being lazy and cheap!
That’s because Silver Lake already has a fire department paddock lake does NOT. And silver lake fire will cover other areas that would take salem longer to get to. So there trading services it seems.
I don’t think you realize the costs involved in having a paramedic squad set up. The meds alone are a fortune and they expire. SLRS is already set up with Salem if they need a paramedic. Salem could get there the same time as they would if they are contracted with Silver Lake, so what’s the difference? Most calls don’t need a paramedic though. SLRS is already at IV Tech level so can treat for cardiac, respiratory, allergic reactions and much, much more. Why would we outsource our funds? We need to keep them in the village. SLRS has for over 50 years provided service to the community. I think our board needs to work harder with our own fire dept and SLRS to work together. Sit down with everyone and work this out. No one is saying that SLRS won’t be come paramedic level in the future, but you have to be reasonable about it. Paramedics are already in place if needed. If someone in your family stops breathing or needs heart meds, etc, do you want to wait 4 minutes for SLRS or 15-20 for Salem? Nothing against Salem here. They have some great members on the squad. SLRS members keep up on training constantly. Some are paramedics, EMT-Intermediate Techs, there’s RN’s and there’s a couple EMT-Basics, but they are all up to date on their certifications and training. Hopefully with a new President in office and a new board member, something can be worked out here to keep it in the village.
I’d love to see this personally
SILVER LAKE FIRE AND RESCUE
thoughts ?
To Confused: Are you a menber of either SLFD or SLRS? If not why not? It seems to be easy for you to talk but get off your dead behind and do something for the community instead of this gibberish.
SLRS has already driven off many talented paramedics, so the chances of getting enough people to commit the time and money for that just isn’t going to happen. SLRS isn’t concerned about their heritage, other than one member, no one has been there for more then 8 years. Almost guarantee they don’t know any founding member names, unless they go and read a plaque hanging in the building. SLRS’ real concern is losing a $12/hr job that lets them sit around and do nothing for the shift. Salem has paramedics on duty in the station 24 hours a day. Pretty positive they will get there quicker than SLRS can get an ambulance out the door when nights are on an on call basis for them, and some of their members are more concerned about how their hair looks then they are about getting to the station in a timely manner.