NDP provides essential care at a fair price

Sometimes difficult situations call for tough decisions, and the town of North East’s lack of volunteer manpower and subsequent decision to contract out for ambulance care this year was by no means easy, but it was necessary. Forced to seek an outside provider once the North East Fire District informed the Town Board it would not be able to provide daytime coverage, the town spent many hours figuring out how to make the best of a less-than-ideal situation. Enter Northern Dutchess Paramedics (NDP). The town ultimately signed a contract with NDP for 24-hour service seven days a week, with a 15-minute maximum response time starting Jan. 1. (For details read this week’s front page story.) Though it’s only been a few short weeks, thus far the arrangement is working as well as anyone could hope.NDP is providing essential Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) service townwide. The ambulance company moved back into its Route 22 offices in the town of North East, making travel time to any given call that much quicker. If, and this doesn’t seem to be a really huge concern, if NDP takes longer than 15 minutes to respond to 90 percent of its calls, it faces fines of $100 per minute. Meanwhile, NDP will continue to provide back-up support to rescue squads in Amenia, Wassaic and Pine Plains. It’s also contracted with the town of Dover to provide emergency care.The town of North East is paying $180,000 for its one-year contract with Northern Dutchess Paramedics. It has the option to renew the contract for the same terms one year from now. That money comes straight from the taxpayers: for a household assessed at $150,000 it amounts to roughly $57, for a household assessed at $250,000 it comes to $96, and for a household assessed at $350,000 it comes to $134.For the type of service NDP is providing, and for that service to be backed up by a company with a stellar performance record and great reputation, the fee is more than reasonable. By contracting with NDP, which is also subsidized by the town of Hyde Park, the hamlet of Staatsburg and five towns in Columbia County, the town of North East is getting reliable and consistent care. Knowing that, Millerton Fire Chief Keith Roger acknowledged the important part NDP is playing in town and village life. He also said while the department hated to tap the tax base, it was a necessary evil.“It’s unfortunate circumstances … but that’s just the way it is,” Roger said, adding, “So far everything has been great; it’s going smoothly, so there have been no problems.”Again, that’s great comfort to a community that could no longer find volunteers for its rescue squad, yet obviously needs ambulance care. The architects of this agreement should be praised for their thoroughness and attention to detail. As town Supervisor John Merwin put it, “it’s the best of both worlds — a good contract with a good company at a fair price.”What more could one ask?