Nov. 05--NANTICOKE -- The Newport Township commissioners held their first meeting Monday since a new policy went into effect.
The commissioners voted unanimously last month to put the Nanticoke Ambulance Association in charge of being its full-time ambulance provider. The decision, which went into effect last Friday, essentially eliminates the localized service provided by the Newport Township Fireman's Community Ambulance.
Unsurprisingly, the commissioners were met with disgruntled staff at the meeting.
Newport Township ambulance attendant Norman W. Bodek, who received a round of applause following his statements, gave an impassioned speech, telling the board that response times will now be slowed, considering Nanticoke covers a big area.
More than halfway through the meeting, which lasted more than 45 minutes, a woman asked the commissioners if they could promise her that an ambulance would respond in a timely manner to attend to her very ill husband.
Commissioner Michael Roke assured her that an ambulance would be there quickly, but the woman lashed back, calling him a liar.
One of the positives of Nanticoke taking over the responsibilities is that Newport Township has an ambulance only for basic emergencies, while an advanced life support ambulance, which Nanticoke has, provides a paramedic who can administer drugs.
"The 24-hour-a-day paid (advance life support ambulance from Nanticoke) would benefit the township residents more than having somebody here eight hours per day," Roke said.
Roke defended the decision by saying their backs were against the wall considering the Newport Township ambulance crew is available only eight hours daily, but Bodek disputes that claim.
"The statement being made that we only have a crew on eight hours per day and then Nanticoke takes all the calls -- that's incorrect," Bodek said after the meeting. "We have volunteers on (after the eight-hour shifts are done), which most towns around here operate on volunteer crews."
Roke said the neighboring ambulance companies have a feud, which complicates things even further.
"That's no secret, they've been spatting," Roke said. "And that's something that unfortunately we were put in the middle of here to make the decision."
Bodek said that from his understanding, Nanticoke has previously been approached about a possible merger between the two ambulance companies, which would have saved a few jobs with the Newport Township ambulance.
"This is not a merger, this is a takeover," Bodek told the board. "Nanticoke does not want anything to do with Newport ambulance --as far as a merger goes. They just want to come in here -- lock, stock and barrel -- and take over the whole show."
570-821-2117, @CVBufano
Copyright 2013 - The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
