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East Hampton task force weighs outsourcing or town takeover of ambulance service amid finance, morale concerns
Summary
At its Feb. 3 meeting the East Hampton Ambulance Task Force discussed recommending that the Town Council consider outsourcing emergency ambulance services, creating a town-run ambulance department, or merging the Ambulance Association with the fire department after raising concerns about the association's financial oversight, volunteer morale, and an unexplained third ambulance purchase.
The East Hampton Ambulance Task Force on Feb. 3, 2025, reviewed the Ambulance Association's status and debated whether to recommend outsourcing emergency medical services, bringing the service into the town budget, or pursuing a joint model with the fire department.
Chairman Richard Knotek said the task force will draft a report for the Town Council summarizing options and recommendations; Knotek was assigned to prepare the outline. Task force members discussed a range of operational concerns, including the association's financial transparency, apparent morale and favoritism issues among volunteers, and the absence of fundraising or other supplemental revenue efforts.
Members noted that the association's reported $260,000 annual operational budget is lower than other options under consideration, but that the task force needs clearer accounting and oversight to evaluate whether that cost is sustainable. Task force members also questioned why the association purchased a third ambulance and said the board provided no statistics or explanatory data about its use; the minutes record that the third ambulance was loaned to nearby Colchester and Marlborough but did not state the purchase cost or fiscal impact on the association.
The group examined alternatives discussed in earlier meetings and referenced models used elsewhere, including joining the Ambulance Association with the fire department (described in the minutes as a "Coventry model"). Some members said outsourcing to an outside provider could reduce town costs; others cautioned that residents value local, familiar responders and that essential services should not be hasty to privatize. Several members emphasized the need for improved oversight if the EHAA remains independent, including monthly budget and expense reports being shared with the Town Council.
Town Manager David Cox participated in the discussion about budget and oversight options. Task force members raised a broader concern about a shrinking nationwide volunteer candidate pool and the resulting implications for staffing the current volunteer-based service.
No formal policy decision was made at the meeting. The task force agreed to draft a report summarizing what members learned and to present a formal recommendation to the Town Council for review and approval. The next meeting date will be set and circulated to members. The meeting adjourned at 8:25 P.M.; the minutes record the adjournment vote as 6-0 in favor.
