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Board reviews 2023 EMS plan and discusses Trinity contract, PSA transfer attempts
Summary
Board members discussed the city’s 2023 five‑year EMS plan, Trinity Ambulance’s contract and repeated state denials of a Primary Service Area transfer to the city.
Torrington officials reviewed the municipality’s five‑year EMS plan submitted to the state in 2023 and discussed the city’s relationship with its private ambulance contractor, Trinity Ambulance.
City staff reminded the board that the 2023 plan remains the city’s current five‑year EMS plan and is due for update before 2028. The board opened the agenda item for discussion; no formal amendment of the plan was approved at the meeting.
Chief Orton (department title given in transcript) told the board that the city’s fire department is a supplemental EMS provider and that Trinity holds the Primary Service Area (PSA) for both BLS and ALS care. “OEMS is not inclined to give it to a supplemental responder,” Chief Orton said, explaining why prior attempts to transfer the PSA to the city were denied. He and other staff said the city has tried twice to obtain the PSA and was rejected by the state Department of Public Health (DPH)/OEMS.
City officials said Trinity executed earlier agreements with the city to assist with transfer efforts; those efforts succeeded in administrative steps but were ultimately rejected by DPH. The mayor said the city engaged state Representative Michelle Cook for help but still received the same answer.
Board members discussed timing and contract needs: Trinity’s contract for the additional ambulance is up May 20, and staff said corporation counsel is drafting an extension, which the mayor expects to have wrapped up in time for that date. City staff also said the cost to taxpayers for current contracted coverage—two 24/7 ambulances plus a 12‑hour BLS unit—was about $200,000 per year.
Officials described options and constraints. Chief Orton and city staff said becoming a full, primary EMS provider requires substantial capital and operating investment—ambulances, staffing and facilities—and that OEMS typically requires a municipality to already be operating as a primary responder before awarding a PSA. Board members called this a “chicken and egg” problem: the state expects readiness before transfer but will not necessarily approve a transfer even if the city builds capacity.
The board directed staff to continue subcommittee work on EMS, pursue contract extension discussions with Trinity and corporation counsel, and prepare an updated plan and options for the council. The mayor said the city would continue to use Trinity while pursuing the longer‑term analysis and noted the city can file complaints with OEMS if response standards are not met; OEMS has an investigation and remediation process for PSA holders.
Ending: The board asked the chief and subcommittee to present updates to the full board as work progresses and to bring a revised EMS plan and contract extension language back to the council for approval.
