Select Board member proposes per‑call EMS staffing to save about $200,000; chair says IMA requires 24/7 coverage

Sarah Kerns presented a staffing proposal suggesting Northfield EMS move from continuous 24/7 staffing to a per‑call staffing model based on annual call patterns. Kerns said the calendar‑year call summary showed 96 calls between midnight and 7 a.m.; using an estimated labor cost of $111 per hour, she said a per‑call model "would save the department roughly $200,000, and 2,055 gross labor hours." (Kerns summarized her calculations for the advisory committee.)

Chair Maithew Wolkenbreit and others pushed back on both policy and safety grounds. Wolkenbreit cited Section 3(c) of the Inter‑Municipal Agreement, reading that the four‑town service "will operate 24/7 service on a continual basis," and said changing the staffing model would be a substantive policy shift requiring a different staffing population and further process. Phil Wonkka said he would be upset if a family member lacked late‑night coverage, and Wolkenbreit described his prior experience responding to late‑night calls when the service lacked adequate staff.

Members noted operational realities: Northfield EMS currently staffs with two people for continuous 24/7 coverage and relies on mutual‑aid arrangements with Erving and Bernardston for second and third calls. Several members said the enterprise fund is intended for regular operating costs and that borrowing to purchase capital (an ambulance or response vehicle) is a separate consideration.

The committee did not adopt Kerns' proposal; discussion will continue in future meetings and at Town Meeting forums where the proposed budget and service model will be considered.