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New Canaan EMS reports high call volume, asks for modest increases for supplies and ambulances
Summary
New Canaan EMS told the board it responded to roughly 1,800 calls in 2024, logged more than 28,000 on‑duty volunteer hours and is asking the town for small, mostly formulaic increases to medical-supplies, vehicle maintenance and capital for future ambulances.
New Canaan EMS told the Board that volunteers responded to about 1,800 calls for roughly 1,850 patients in 2024 and logged more than 28,000 on‑duty volunteer hours.
The organization’s president, Alec Montgomery, and its treasurer outlined the EMS budget and a multi‑year plan for vehicle replacement, saying most budget increases are modest, fixed or driven by regional cost allocations. "We're an all volunteer organization. We responded to about 1,800 calls for about 1,850 patients last year. We have more than 50 volunteer members who provided 28,000 plus on duty volunteer hours providing 24 7 coverage of EMS for the town," Montgomery said.
The treasurer described the largest fixed cost: a five‑year paramedic contract at $465,000 per year. He said New Canaan is in the third year of that agreement and does not expect a change in the contract cost for the coming budget year. The town also pays an allocation to the Southwest Regional Communication Center for dispatch and patching services; the EMS share for the next fiscal year was given as $24,004.95.
On capital, EMS said ambulance lead times have lengthened since the pandemic. The department maintains a three‑ambulance rotation intended to give each vehicle a nine‑year service life; because of longer lead times it moved purchase years forward for two future ambulances to keep the replacement cycle intact. Preliminary quotes for the next ambulance were cited in the range of about $390,000 per vehicle. The treasurer said the current purchase schedule requires no deposit; payment is due on delivery and the town typically bonds ambulance purchases.
Board members asked logistical questions about timing, payment and the paramedic contract length. The EMS treasurer clarified the budget year under discussion is the fourth year of the five‑year contract as applied to the town’s fiscal calendar. The EMS presenters said they will go out to bid for the next ambulance and that they expect the contract price for an ambulance ordered in 2023–24 to hold at its original price despite industry pressure to increase.
The presentation did not include a formal vote by the board; the material was presented for budget review. The EMS presenters said staffing and volunteer recruitment continue to be constraints, particularly keeping high‑school volunteers who must balance school commitments with shifts.
Ending: EMS thanked the board and noted volunteers’ continuing shortages and capital timing as the primary budget pressures going forward.
