Lynn Barrett: You don’t know what you’ve acquired ’til it’s gone

This commentary is by Lynn Barrett, who says this commentary doesn’t mirror the opinions of any nonprofit boards she serves on or any of her present or previous purchasers. She is writer of Vermont Arts & Residing, editor of Okemo Valley Journal, and president of Primetime Ideas Inc.

By now, Brattleboro residents have heard the city’s intent to signal a contract with for-profit Golden Cross ambulance service and discontinue its 56-year contract with nonprofit Rescue Inc. 

Why would the selectboard make such a call by itself and why has this not been a subject of public dialogue? 

Each September, Rescue holds a consortium for the cities, a gathering which additionally airs on BCTV. At that assembly, then-City Supervisor Peter Elwell assured Rescue representatives that the Brattleboro Hearth Division wouldn’t be taking up the ambulance service for the city.  

On Feb. 9, 2022, the brand new city supervisor, Yoshi Manale, organized a gathering with Rescue Chief Drew Hazelton; Debra Miller Chapman, the selectboard’s appointed trustee on Rescue; and Patrick Moreland, assistant city supervisor. At that assembly, Manale introduced to Hazelton that the city was not going to resume the contract. 

Till the city’s April 11 public announcement, there was no public dialogue concerning the choice. It was not introduced up on the annual consultant city assembly. No dialogue ever occurred at selectboard conferences. 

That is déjà vu. 

In 2014, the Putney Selectboard wished to save lots of $22,000 a yr by retaining Golden Cross ambulance service — and never renew the Rescue contract.

In Putney’s case, the townspeople demanded to be heard and a particular 

city assembly was held. Brattleboro’s present fireplace chief, Leonard Howard III, spoke towards Rescue at that assembly. 

In the long run, the vote was 141 in favor of maintaining Rescue within the finances, and 33 towards. 

It isn’t unreasonable to think about fireplace departments as emergency medical providers suppliers. The Worldwide Affiliation of Hearth Fighters union has been pushing nationwide for fireplace departments to supply ambulance service. And in some communities, this could be the way in which to go. 

However, when you may have an award-winning service that’s extremely skilled and has partnered with the neighborhood for over 50 years, an abrupt change can be reckless, particularly on the subject of life-and-death conditions. Rescue Inc. is not only an ambulance service, however a associate in neighborhood response to pure disasters, fires and pandemics.  

All of us need the selectboard to do due diligence to maintain the city finances underneath management, however that is an excessive and egregious choice. I wish to assume that city authorities seems out for the most effective pursuits of its residents. On this case, the selectboard has gravely failed, particularly to its seniors.

There isn’t a query that the change will end in a discount of providers and a shift of prices onto the fixed-income seniors who depend on Rescue’s packages and providers to assist them lower your expenses.

The voters of Brattleboro want an opportunity to weigh in. The selectboard shouldn’t be the only real deciders. If this choice is any instance of how the brand new selectboard operates, they’ve failed, in my view.

The selectboard ought to comply with schedule a particular city assembly the place the city (and Golden Cross as its vendor) and Rescue Inc. have the chance to be heard. Allow them to every current a case to the neighborhood.

The contract for Rescue Inc. prices Brattleboro residents simply $24.02 a yr. Let’s see what number of residents are desperate to vote sure for Rescue.