Mayor Kevin Peterson opened a public hearing Dec. 8 in Depew to consider whether the village should create its own municipal emergency medical service and ambulance operation.

Chief Musilak, introduced by the mayor as the fire chief, told the board he has served the community for decades and said the village has seen ‘‘a lot of deficiencies’’ in the current county and private EMS system. ‘‘The Village of DPU is actively exploring the creation of a municipal emergency medical service EMS agency to ensure our residents receive faster, more reliable emergency care,’’ he said, adding the village might aim to begin service before 2026.

Musilak and board members cited several reasons for launching the review: periods when contractor ambulances were not available, long hospital turnaround times for EMS crews, and a statewide shortage of EMS providers. He estimated roughly 1,500–2,000 EMS-related calls per year in the village and said the volunteer fire department already handles many emergency-response tasks but could not sustainably absorb full ambulance-transport duties.

Shelly Matthews, senior public safety dispatcher, explained how dispatch currently works: Depew contacts LVAC first, then Twin City/AMR and Erie County EMS if LVAC is unavailable; when no paid ambulance is available the fire department is dispatched but the process can take additional minutes. ‘‘Sometimes we have to wait a few minutes to even see if there is an ambulance available,’’ Matthews said.

Ben Bridal, director of operations for LVAC, told trustees LVAC currently serves Depew under a memorandum of understanding and is planning a new 24-hour schedule plus a fifth peak unit next year. Bridal said staffing and finances are constraints: "The current cost for a new paramedic level ambulance for a year is $750,000," he said, and described licensing, certificate-of-need (CON) issues and other regulatory steps required under New York State rules. Bridal offered to meet with the village as the board develops an RFP.

Trustees emphasized the village’s fiscal approach: the mayor and administrator said the plan is for modest startup costs and primarily billing-based ongoing funding (insurance, Medicare and Medicaid) with an RFP that will require a contractor to demonstrate billing and staffing capability. The board said proposed ambulance placement would use two of the village’s fire stations to serve the village’s 5.4 square miles, and that bidders must demonstrate they can meet staffing and performance qualifications.

Public commenters asked whether the village would buy ambulances immediately; officials answered the RFP could allow leasing or subcontracting ambulances and crews rather than immediate vehicle purchases. LVAC said it would be willing to discuss converting the MOU to a contract if needed.

The board closed the public hearing after receiving no further comments. Trustees directed staff to proceed with an RFP that will set qualifications, staffing commitments and billing responsibilities for any potential municipal EMS provider; no formal decision to establish a municipal service was made at the meeting.