Western Mass Emergency
Medical Services Committee, Inc.
Meeting:
Communications
Committee
Date: May
3, 2001
Place: Living
Room, McCallum Building, CDH, Northampton
Presiding: Jeff Rawson,
Co-Chairperson
Called
to Order: 9:00 am
Adjourned: 10:05 am
Attendance:
Present
- Rick
Anderson, Brian Andrews, Francesca Austin, Anthony Cerini, James Controvitch,
Stephen Cote, Thomas Coulombe, Bernard Forgea, Daniel Harrington, Robert
Hopkins, James Kupernik, Guy Manners, Robert Moore, Jeff Rawson, Michael Zlogar
Meeting
Time and Date:
Discussion -
Ms.
Herringshaw can attend Communication Committee Meetings to take minutes at 8:30
a.m. on the first Thursday of the month.
The next meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on June 7.
Action- None.
Information
regarding CMED in Springfield:
Discussion –
Mr.
Controvitch is present today with the information that was requested. This information includes agreements with
CMED, list of CMED users, and the yearly revenue collected for 2000 at the
amount of $46,000. One copy will go to
Executive Committee. Mr. Andrews
inquired if everyone on the committee would like a copy of this document or
perhaps a summary of the documents. Mr.
Cote agreed to give an overview of the documents.
Mr.
Controvitch was asked about the price per patch. He stated that they were $4.00 each.
Mr.
Zlogar doesn=t know if it is necessary to get a summary of all
the documents, but would like a summary of the operational/administrative
requirements. Included in this would be the budget for these. Also, he is concerned with EMS 2000 and if
Regional
Council is actually required to physically take over CMED and run it.
Mr.
Controvitch gave a summary of the contract between Springfield and CMED. He stated that if AMR were to give up the
contract, the next vendor would have the same requirements when they took it
over.
Mr.
Zlogar stated that if the Mass. requirements need to be state wide, then there
needs to be CMED throughout Region 1 so they are able to talk to each one.
Mr.
Cote is not sure that the state is mandating that each town use CMED.
Mr.
Andrews is questioning whether Berkshire County needs to make a more functional
CMED with the small one that they already have in place.
Mr.
Harrington asked Mr. Controvitch if there were any big revenue losses or gains?
Mr. Controvitch stated that the major expense is paying for staff. The expense of 24 hour coverage 7 days a
week is between $87,000 to $92,000 a year. Mr. Controvitch also mentioned that
the benefits for the employees are also a expense that needs to be added onto
the above. Mr. Andrews asked if they paid for the computer they bought in 1999
with revenue? Mr. Controvitch responded that the items that they have purchased
in the last fifteen years were from fees.
Mr.
Cerini asked if all users pay when they receive their bills? Mr. Controvitch
replied that if a service only uses a patch a couple times a year they don=t send out a bill to that
service. If they use patches 5 or 6
times a year, a bill gets sent out yearly.
He stated that all services pay, but occasionally someone will call and
ask if they can submit their payment in the next fiscal year, and this is
granted. Everyone pays their bills.
Mr.
Controvitch touched upon what would happen to CMED if there was a major
catastrophe that occurred. He stated
that bids would go out to cover CMED, and temporarily it may go to a fire or
police department.
Mr.
Manners spoke with Mr. Controvitch on Monday about some of the issues that have
been tossed around. One issue was
liability insurance. You carry about
$100,000 coverage and this is approximately $6700 per year.
The
next issue discussed was direct access and eliminating CMED concept. Some
problems with this is that all services would need UHF equipment or capability
of CMED for UHF and VHF access. An
additional issue touched upon was cell phone use as primary access. In order to utilize this there would need to
be a large amount of lines. Also, these
phones don=t always work when they are needed. Therefore, this really isn=t a very practical
choice. The final item discussed was a
change over of radios to the new digital format. Mr. Controvitch suggested that Mr. Manners talk to Mr. Prairie at
the Springfield P.D. Radio shop. Mr.
Prairie informed Mr. Manners that these radios are not necessary at the current
time.
Mr.
Controvitch added to the liability issue that each victim can sue the town only
up to $100,000 each. If the council was
to take this over, the cost of this insurance per year would rise dramatically.
Action – None.
Letter
to OEMS:
Discussion –
Mr.
Keefe was going to draft this letter to OEMS.
Mr. Cote stated that there is some concern that the State committee may
be imposing solutions to problems that we don=t have or over-looking
problems that we do have. In this
letter, these concerns were going to be mentioned. Mr. Cote hasn=t discussed this with Mr. Keefe lately, so he
is unsure if this was written.
Mr.
Coloumbe wanted to know what the next plan of action was with this letter. Should the letter be brought to the
committee next month to be reviewed, or should the letter be written and sent
by next meeting. After some discussion,
it is believed that the letter should be drafted and sent by next meeting. Mr. Hopkins would like a copy of this letter
sent via e-mail to the committee members. This topic was tabled until next
month.
Action - Mr. Keefe to draft and
send letter to OEMS by communication meeting in June.
State
Funded Communications Project:
Mr.
Andrews informed the group that Ms. Moriarty was contacted by the state
regarding a problem that had been brought up a couple years ago. There are some towns that aren=t able to communicate with
Mary Lane and Wing (named the Hampden East Project). The state has offered $18,000 to remedy this communication
problem. Mr. Andrews feels that Mr.
Prenney is able to see that Region 1 is working hard to pull our communication
problems together and come up with solutions.
Mr.
Andrews feels that we need to come up with a plan to remedy the communications
issues in Region 1 so it can be presented to the state in the future.
Mr.
Manners, Mr. Cote, and Mr. Cerini spent some time looking at equipment around
Franklin County. They performed some
tests from Shelburne to Ludlow Fire Tower.
Mr. Cerini feels that this would be a major step towards solving many of
the communication issues in this area.
Mr.
Cote feels that with this money, we will be able to build a bridge around the
entire region. The proposal that we put
together is focused on patient care and will involve 10 towns with a population
of 88,000, and 8 ambulance services.
The proposal said that this would be a unmanned site except for
CMED.
Mr.
Hopkins asked if they would be run with RF remote or microwave. Mr. Cote stated that although very
expensive, ultimately they would utilize microwave.
Mr.
Controvitch stated that Mr. Cote speak with Mr. Prairie before a decision is
made.
Mr.
Coloumbe inquired as to whether anyone checked the elevation of the tower in
the Quabbin? He believes that the tower here is higher than the Ludlow Tower.
Also, has anyone checked with the National Water Resource Authority? They are very good about giving out
grants. They do complain, but they
generally come through with money. Mr.
Cerini feels that Wilbraham Fire has some good contacts with NWRA. Mr. Coloumbe stated that they have a monthly
meeting and perhaps it would be helpful to have someone from the Communications
Committee attend.
Mr.
Cote stated that there has been no decision made about an antenna site, but
when considering one, they need to figure out what will best benefit the Region
in the future. Also, down the road he
will need to put out bids for proposal from vendors.
Mr.
Zlogar asked for some clarity on what exactly we need proposals for. After some lengthy discussion regarding the
Hampden East Project, Mr. Zlogar made a motion to go forward with this Hampden
East project to clear up their communication problems. Mr. Coloumbe seconded this. All were in favor
with 0 opposed.
Mr.
Andrews advised that Mr. Cote know the specifics of the bids, such as what it
will cost and the equipment needed and then the committee can finalize the deal
at the next meeting.
Mr.
Zlogar appreciated the map that was passed out at this meeting, but feels that
there needs to be proposals and plans distributed to the committee every month
to keep the group informed of the jobs at hand and what they will accomplish by
way of clearing up the problems.
Mr.
Cote will bring to the next meeting: the proposals, ramifications for the whole
region and the potential answers for communication problems in the region.
Action - Mr. Cote to send out
requests for proposals. Mr. Cote to
bring copies of proposals, ramifications, and potential answers for problems to
our next meeting.
Communications
Survey:
Discussion –
Ms.
Moriarty sent out letters to the services that had not returned our
surveys. This letter has brought in two
responses. The office will make follow
up phone calls to the services that have still not returned the surveys.
Action - WMEMS office to contact
ambulance services that have not returned the surveys.
Statewide
Communications Committee:
Discussion –
Mr.
Andrews wanted the committee to know that he is on this Statewide
committee. He is there as a member of
the Ambulance Association, but on some level he will also represent this
committee.
Action - None.
NWRA
Request:
Mr.
Harrington asked whether Mr. Coloumbe would be interested in representing our
committee at the NWRA meetings. He
stated that he could do this as he goes to these meetings anyway.
Mr.
Cote agreed to make a contact for this with Ms. Tiffany Trann, the design
manager.
Action - None.
Adjourn:
Ms. Moriarty made a motion to
adjourn at 10:05 a.m. Motion was
seconded by Mr. Cote. Motion approved
unanimously.
Lisa
Herringshaw, Secretary, Recorder