Torrington approves five-year EMS memorandum of understanding with Trinity Health of New England

Torrington — The City Council voted April 21 to authorize the mayor to execute a five-year memorandum of understanding with Trinity Health of New England for emergency medical services, approving an extension of the city’s current ambulance arrangement and financial provisions listed in the agreement.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) would continue 24/7 ambulance coverage for the city and includes annual step increases in compensation; the agreement’s financial terms are summarized on page 8 of the MOU. Mayor (unnamed in the record) introduced the item as a five-year extension, noting council review was needed before the budget is finalized: “This is a 5 year extension on, this contract,” the mayor said.

Corporation Counsel Magistrale explained the city has operated under extensions of an earlier agreement and said a 2023 amendment established a $200,000 annual payment when Trinity (which acquired Champion Ambulance’s operations and its primary service-area permit) began charging for enhanced coverage. “So the city’s been operating for the past few years under an extension of a previous agreement…‘23, there was an amendment to the agreement we had with them. They proposed charging for their services,” Magistrale said.

Magistrale and other council members emphasized that the Department of Public Health’s Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) issues primary service-area (PSA/PSAR) permits, and the current permit assignment to Trinity limits the city’s ability to solicit alternative providers. Magistrale said that because Trinity holds the permit, “no other ambulance provider can come into this area to provide the kind of emergency management services,” meaning the council’s approval is effectively a sole‑source decision tied to the permit.

The MOU includes mechanisms the council and staff said will allow the city to monitor performance: a monthly written report from the provider, a committee composed of the fire department, mayor’s office, Trinity representatives and the sponsor hospital (Charlotte Hungerford), quarterly committee reviews, and semiannual reporting to the Board of Public Safety. Council discussion pointed to specific MOU sections for these controls (page 4: standards of care; page 5: performance review; page 7: nonperformance remedies). Magistrale summarized the enforcement track: if the provider repeatedly fails to meet response standards set in the city’s emergency management plan, the city can register complaints with OEMS; OEMS provides a remediation period and, if shortcomings persist, the city could pursue removal of the PSA/permit.

Council members also discussed public‑safety oversight: the Board of Public Safety receives monthly call reports and the EMS committee meets quarterly to evaluate service. Council members asked that Trinity provide a short performance summary to the council after the budget process, and noted Trinity is making fleet investments and exploring a new dispatch/distribution location.

The motion to authorize the mayor to execute the MOU carried on a voice vote. The council directed that the contract’s costs be included in the upcoming budget and that legal counsel be available for follow-up.

Ending — The city will include the MOU’s financial commitment in the budget process; members asked staff to schedule brief performance updates (quarterly summaries and a six‑month lookback) with the Board of Public Safety and the council after the fiscal year budget is adopted.