Quoted from bumblethru

And I did not send in a donation. Why? Because they already get my money through my taxes!!!

I felt the same way when I received their request for donations.  But, then again, the volunteer Fire Departments have a fund drive every year also.  So, what is appropriate??  Taxes or donations???

Quoted from clubhouse

I felt the same way when I received their request for donations.  But, then again, the volunteer Fire Departments have a fund drive every year also.  So, what is appropriate??  Taxes or donations???

Big difference. Privatizing is not an option with the fire dept's. And rems has obviously mis-managed their money to an extreme. And let's not forget that rems was almost non-existent for at least a couple of years.

And I also would stop donating to 'certain' fire dept's that have turned their fire houses into country clubs! That is just nonsense!

You mean like. "The South Side"????

Quoted from TippyCanoe

You mean like. "The South Side"????

Uh....YUP! Although I think Glenville has them beat. Many people in Glenville will not donate any longer since the 'country club'  was built.

now come on....
they did need to move
the equipment didnt fit in the existing building
and .....the traffic

and the glenville palace is quite the place...  complete with mobile smart board..... for training

or

entertainment

Quoted Text

ROTTERDAM
Ambulance service proposals sought
Companies asked to attend meeting, make presentations
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

    Town officials may soon schedule meetings with area ambulance service providers to discuss the future of Rotterdam’s emergency medical services.
    In a letter addressed to the Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services Inc., Supervisor Frank Del Gallo asks ambulance officials to attend a mid-September meeting and explain why their company would best suit the town’s needs. The letter asks the company to spend up to 20 minutes on a presentation, then answer any questions from Town Board members or residents.
    “You[r] presentation should include rough numbers, specifi cally the financial impact to the taxpayers of the town of Rotterdam,” Del Gallo states in the unsigned letter dated Aug. 19.
    Town Attorney Michael Godlewski said the notion of meeting with area ambulance companies was brought up by several board members, but nothing certain has been decided. He said the meetings would give an opportunity for companies to discuss the merits of their service before the board and the public.
    “Some of the board members would like to see [the meetings] come to fruition to see what the different ambulance companies have to say,” he explained Monday.
    Joe VanDerwerker, the board president of REMS, said he hasn’t received any letter or an indication board members are considering such a meeting. He wasn’t sure why the board would need more information about a company that has served the town since 1936, but said REMS is more than willing to answer any lingering questions they may have.
    “We would use it to our advantage to explain things and go from there,” he said.
    Mohawk Ambulance, the company that has sought to replace REMS for years, also expressed a willingness to meet with town offi cials. Tom Narraduci, a privately contracted attorney speaking for Mohawk, said the for-profi t company’s most recent proposal to the town includes guaranteed response times and would expect no municipal subsidy in exchange for providing ambulances.
    “If they’re invited, Mohawk would definitely be willing to make a proposal,” he said.
    Meanwhile, there hasn’t been any further progress in determining a date for a referendum to decide whether the town should support its ambulance service with a tax district or through the budget. Town officials scrapped a vote originally scheduled for late June after several board members expressed concern over a lack understanding of the referendum among residents.
    Many residents believed the tax district, if approved, would be set up specifically to fund REMS. But Del Gallo indicated the board intends to put the ambulance service contract out to bid. .......................>>>>......................>>>>..........................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01100&AppName=1

Joe V. is right...we know all we need to know...REMS is insolvent and they want taxpayers to fund EMS services for everyone...a local form of socialized
medicine. Doogie Howser is a liar...I spent more than an hour yesterday questioning him about their intentions with this tax scam...he claimed this
"letter" to REMS was only in the draft stage, that is was not FOILable and he was unaware of any "special" meeting for REMS. The only Board Member
interested in replaying the same story of failure is that lying windbag Bob Godlewski and Doogie Howser. They are still desperately trying to schedule an
unnecessary vote for an unnecessary tax on a service that will go out to bid...a process in which REMS has no chance of competing and everyone knows
it, including REMS.

As for Mohawk's invitaion to present their proposal...they should just show up without the invitation they will never get...the Town has spent years
actively omitting this option from the discussion...they are not going to suddenly expose the common sense in this option that should have been
exercised long ago. Fortunately, Doogie has no vote and Bob God will be the lone supporter of this scheme...this will be their Waterloo.

so why do we need a taxing dist vote if business' are going to pay the town royalties

why not just run a legal notice for a request for proposals, EMS Service?

do  "lying windbag Bob Godlewski and Doogie Howser" want to collect the money from the taxing dist and
royalties, then do some kind of transfer of funds to the town???

Quoted from TippyCanoe

why not just run a legal notice for a request for proposals, EMS Service?

I was thinking the same thing. Sometimes I just don't understand the reasoning that is coming out of that TH!

Just put it out to bid. End of story!!

I'm thinking this is connected(and not too far from ICD9 codes and national healthcare and the electronic filing thereof) directly to mandates/regulations

anyone know specifice state/fed mandates for ER care including the call/answer/ride/treatment thereof?????

if they put it out to bid they would have to put something in about having an ambulance ( or 2 ) in town 24/7

which mohawk absolutely refuses to do.

Funny how all of a sudden, the issue of mohawk not having an ambulance 24/7 in rotterdam is a negative.

How long was it that rems was awol and mohawk was answering almost ALL of the calls in rotterdam successfully? Now, all of a sudden it's an issue?

Quoted from magik20

if they put it out to bid they would have to put something in about having an ambulance ( or 2 ) in town 24/7

which mohawk absolutely refuses to do.

I don't know where you got that idea Magik...it has always been made clear that Mohawk would buy the REMS building and house a
fully staffed ambulance 24/7.

Since the Town hasn't bothered to announce it, another "special meeting" has been scheduled for 9/15 on the EMS issue. Just in case the Town
conveniently fails to invite Mohawk Ambulance, I have alerted their staff and told them to crash the meeting if they are not invited.

Mohawk can "promise" to keep a couple of ambulances in the town at all times  BUT look at the tragedy last summer in Albany --  the promised ambulances in Albany were ALL out of town .. when that young boy died lying in the street waiting for the promised ambulance to get from Troy back to Albany.

I am sure that the young boy's parents would gladly pay 10 cents per thousand of their house's taxable value .. if they could bring him back to life.