HUNTINGTON – The Hilltown Community Ambulance Association (HCAA) has a new ambulance in its fleet – new to them, anyway.
“It fell into our lap, and we scooped it up,” said Angela Mulkerin, service director and paramedic for HCAA on Monday.
EMT Jake Sanborn stands with the ambulance the Hilltown Community Ambulance Association recently bought via the Northampton Fire Department for $17,500. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Mulkerin, who has been seeking to replace HCAA’s 2001 ambulance said the mechanic they use, who works full time as a mechanic for the Northampton Fire Department told her in November that Northampton had just bought a new ambulance and traded in the old one to the New England Fire Apparatus. She said their mechanic has done all the work on the vehicle.
In the course of two weeks, the HCAA Board approved the funding, and on November 18 Mulkerin signed the purchase agreement, and picked it up that day for $17,500.
The price was a far cry from the $220,000 Mulkerin had anticipated would be needed for a new ambulance. Last September, Mulkerin went before the Blandford Select Board to defend the 15% increase HCAA was seeking at that time from its six member towns (Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell and Worthington) to start to build up a capital expense fund.
Several of the member towns balked at the increase, saying HCAA’s lack of planning was not their responsibility, and asked for a written contract from the association.
Less than six months later, the picture is looking brighter. The new ambulance, a red 2007 Advanced Life Support vehicle, is set to go on the road as soon as HCAA receives the license for it, which Mulkerin said they are expecting any day. It needed a few things – the radios had to be adjusted for their setup, new batteries were needed, and a few lights had to be replaced. Other than that, she said it has been fleet maintained, and is road ready. It has a hydraulic suspension that lowers the body of the vehicle to pick up patients. And although it is not four-wheel drive, which Mulkerin wants for the next ambulance they purchase in order to navigate Hilltown roads, she said it is heavy and does well in the snow.
HCAA service director Angela Mulkerin and board member Thomas Ackley at Blandford on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Mulkerin said the new ambulance will give HCAA two reliable ambulances for service calls. They will retire the 2001 ambulance and sell it. It also gives them more time to raise assessments to the towns and to fundraise for a new vehicle.
At Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting in Blandford, Mulkerin told them about the ambulance, and presented a new assessment request of 5.5%, down from 15%. She also gave them a copy of a contract for service, which will be reviewed at the next meeting. She said the contract is a more comprehensive document than the letter of intent the towns received last year, and gives the towns more protection.
“I’m excited about the new truck. That’s what everybody asked you to do, to come up with a way to not increase by 15%,” said Blandford board chair Adam Dolby, adding, “If Northampton has a fire truck, let me know.”
Dolby also said he was very happy with the service HCAA provides to the town. “It’s not just that they can respond, it’s they respond with top-notch quality staff.” In 2016, HCAA responded to 71 calls in Blandford, and passed on 13. In 2015, the service responded to 63 calls, passing on 10. Mulkerin said with two ambulances, they won’t pass on as many calls.
Selectman William Levakis also was happy to receive a contract from the group.
“I think that’s excellent. You guys are going on the right track. I like it,” Levakis said.
The agency has also added two new board members, Ernie Smith from Huntington, and Steve Pitoniak from Montgomery. “We did a lot of work on our board this year,” Mulkerin said on Monday.
HCAA’s 2001 ambulance that is being replaced and will be sold. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Last week, Smith brought the contract to the Huntington Board of Selectmen for review. Huntington is one of two towns, along with Russell, that has been drafting a Request for Proposal for ambulance service, to define what level of service the towns wanted to receive and at what price.
After looking over the contract, selectmen Ed Renauld and John McVeigh asked Smith to have HCAA spell out the hours for paramedic coverage. Other than that, Renauld said a lot of stuff that he had issues with had been turned around.
Mulkerin said on Monday that Worthington and Montgomery have also received the contracts, and she will visit those towns next.
“Things have gotten a lot better,” Mulkerin said.
