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Council to meet with fire chief as members press for review of ambulance service after resident complaints
Summary
Council members scheduled a preparatory meeting with the fire chief and signaled a future public caucus to address resident concerns about ambulance coverage and provider accountability; one council member warned that bringing EMS in-house can carry heavy cost and performance risks.
Council members said they will meet with the fire chief to gather information before holding a public caucus on ambulance coverage and the city’s relationship with contracted providers.
"He is also happy to attend a caucus after the office meeting if that's still deemed necessary," said Council member Sean McAndrew, describing the chief’s willingness to meet privately with two council members before a full-council caucus to review ambulance service options.
The move follows sustained public complaints about response times and coverage. Public commenter Mike Mancini urged the council to bring PA Ambulance into a direct discussion and to consider stationing ambulances strategically to improve response times.
Councilman Flynn urged caution about municipal takeover of EMS, citing a high-profile study and example: "The revenue generated from this was 65,000,000 annually, which leaves a 20 plus million dollar taxpayer gap," he said while describing results from other cities where in-house EMS expanded operating budgets and liabilities.
Council members said they intend to obtain Fitch and Associates' analysis and other materials (including an itemized breakdown of recent quotes and law-firm contract costs) before deciding whether to pursue a city-run service, a different contract model, or improved accountability measures for external providers.
Next steps noted at the meeting included a small preparatory meeting with the fire chief, followed by a planned caucus at which all council members can question ambulance-provider representatives and review consultant findings.
