Under the deal, Manchester would be required to respond to calls for emergency services in Vernon up to four times a month, and then be compensated $600 for every time it responds thereafter.
The deal, approved unanimously by the Board of Directors last week, is meant to deter Vernon from overusing Manchester's emergency service personnel, which it has done because of staffing issues, town fire officials said.
Over the past several months, Manchester Fire-Rescue-EMS has been called to provide advanced life support in Vernon about six to 12 times a week, which General Manager Steve Stephanou called a "more than normal" amount. The high frequency of out-of-town calls has put a "big resource constraint on our department," Stephanou said.
Advanced life support is provided when a patient requires a higher level of medical monitoring than basic life support, which is for non-life-threatening injuries, according to John Hopkins Medicine.
Town fire officials said the agreement would both compensate Manchester taxpayers and protect them from being under served.
"We have a primary obligation at home and ( Vernon officials) understand that," Fire Chief Daniel French said. "That was really the heart and soul of the discussion that led to the agreement."
French added that the town was never interested in a "for-profit deal," but rather sought to honor its commitment to residents.
Assistant Fire Chief Joshua Beaulieu , who French called "instrumental" in negotiating the deal, said the agreement was a "bit of a compromise." Vernon officials wanted Manchester to respond up to five times a month before charging a fee, Beaulieu said. Manchester countered with a maximum of two responses a month. The two sides eventually settled on four.
"I think this agreement represents a good faith effort to help out our neighbors while at the same time protecting the taxpayers," Beaulieu said.
A lack of sufficient volunteers for emergency services has placed some local towns in a bind trying to adequately respond to calls. Vernon Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said the lack of volunteers had forced Vernon to rely more on mutual aid partnerships with other towns to provide services.
To address the issue, the Vernon Town Council last month unanimously approved a plan to hire high full-time emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, along with continuing to use part-time staff. Vernon will also be offering full-timers "very competitive" pay and benefits as an incentive, Purcaro said.
Beaulieu said the $600 fee per response should act as a deterrent for Vernon to continue heavily relying on Manchester's emergency services.
"We don't want to be their plan A or plan B," Beaulieu said. "We want them to be working on a better arrangement with their primary ALS service provider, and they tell us that's exactly what they're doing."
Stephanou said the agreement shows just how valuable the town's emergency service capabilities are. Director Dennis Schain agreed.
"Reading about Vernon's needs does serve to remind us all of the great services we have here and how fortunate we are to have the kind of response capabilities that we do," Schain said.
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