SARATOGA SPRINGS — In a move to turn the city’s second firehouse into a revenue-generator, the City Council is discussing a proposal that could change the face of emergency services in the city.
Since the 1960s, the city has been served by Saratoga Emergency Medical Services (SEMS), which currently staffs two paid ambulance crews in the city around the clock.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Commissioner of Public Safety Ron Kim announced to the council that his department would put forth a request for proposals to seek out an emergency medical provider that would serve the city’s needs while also generating revenue.
“Our thinking at this point is that if we’re going to copy cities around us, they bid out the service, and the cities get something for it,” said Kim. “It’s not unlike what you do with cable providers.”
In addition, he said space in the fire station currently used by SEMS could be rented to an ambulance provider for about $100,000 a year.
Kim noted that in Schenectady, the city gets a portion of Medicare reimbursement for all Advanced Life Support calls.
“We have to look at some hard choices. It’s one of those things that is done, it’s tough times, and we’ve got to do this. When I first learned that other cities were doing this, I was sort of surprised that no other commissioner of public safety had done this. It’s a very steady source of income for Schenectady, and it’s not unusual,” Kim said.
Since the 1970s, SEMS, which started out as a volunteer agency, but transitioned to a paid staff in the ’70s, has operated out of the city-owned fire station on West Avenue. The building was originally constructed the money from the federal Housing and Urban Development Authority with the stipulation that part of the space be given to a not-for-profit.
SEMS, which operates as a private not-for-profit, has occupied the space for free since the facility opened, and Kim said the city should now be able to charge rent on the space.
Currently, only two agencies — SEMS and for-profit Mohawk Ambulance Services — carry state licenses required to operate in Saratoga Springs. Still, Kim said he hoped to distribute the request for proposals to a wide range of potential bidders. Continued...
I GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they're a bunch of paunched gut sissies, that refused to deal with the contracts/pensions/cola's and all the real blood and guts....they 'generate' money to cover their vote purchasing through the public unions...
WHAT AN F'EN HOUSE OF CARDS...WITH A BUNCH OF BINGO PLAYING GUMBAS.....the schmucks need to get out....and the plebs had better be looking in the mirror......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
WARNING-Gary McCarthy has another creative idea! A new EMS tax for ripped off City sheeple! Now when you have an emergency and one of your kids needs transport McCarthy will hand you another bill. Thank you working together DEM morons for "creatively" picking our pockets. Taxes in the City aren't high enough now we need a double tax on ambulance services.
Someone asked me this question today that heard about this EMS fee....If someone is at proctors watching a show and passes out, and let's say they are from another county....will they too have to pay an EMS fee? How bout the cast and crew of a proctors show? They also asked about the homeless...how do they pay? How about the ones that live at the 'Y' or Bethesda House or City Mission.....how do they pay. Then another person asked....where will this money go? Back into the fire dept budget since the ems folks are paid out of that budget?
And is this only for schenectady paid ems's? How 'bout Mohawk's ems's?
A lot of folks had a lot of question about this proposed FEE....that was while they were laughing and shaking their heads in disbelief!!! REALLY!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
A lot of folks had a lot of question about this proposed FEE....that was while they were laughing and shaking their heads in disbelief!!! REALLY!!
Another poorly thought out plan by McCarthy in only a few weeks. Ambulance fees, City takeover of the water treatment plant (with 21 more employees the City will be paying for and supplying healthcare/benefits and pensions to), the $3 million dollar munic golf course, new part-time personal secretary....none of which are laid out in black and white. More bad ideas without envisioning the fiscal liabilities to the City taxpayers...for decades to come.
WARNING-Gary McCarthy has another creative idea! A new EMS tax for ripped off City sheeple! Now when you have an emergency and one of your kids needs transport McCarthy will hand you another bill. Thank you working together DEM morons for "creatively" picking our pockets. Taxes in the City aren't high enough now we need a double tax on ambulance services.
Did you notice that Schenectady Ambulance Service contributed $1350 to his campaign between August and October in 3 separate contributions? How else is he going to give them a return on their investment? Of course, strap an extra fee on the taxpayers.
Goofy has a new flyer coming about him running the s*** plant. He has jumped off the truck and landed in it. The flyer stinks as bad as the plant. McCarthy is investigation this operation- lol. 21 new jobs added to the 1,700+ he lost sleeping on the Metrograft bored for years.
I'm not sure why someone would choose this as a campaign issue. I haven't followed it that closely, but it seems to me there were problems over therethat were alleviated so now the people most affected are happier. If someone thinks it could be done better, now doesn't seem like the right time to get into it. I don't understand Gary McCarthy, the way he thinks, why he does what he does. He seems smart, but he doesn't act smart a lot of the time. He was evidently led by BS, who "acted" smart but in reality was not all that bright.
Did you notice that Schenectady Ambulance Service contributed $1350 to his campaign between August and October in 3 separate contributions? How else is he going to give them a return on their investment? Of course, strap an extra fee on the taxpayers.
They should hold out - the golf course received $3 million for hosting the McCarthy campaign fundraiser.
Fact is, McCarthy has NO ideas on how to decrease taxes or bring stability to Schenectady. Now that the Metroplex money is at an all time low, the 'leadership' of Schenectady can't come up with a creative idea or even cut ANYTHING from the budget.
Hull's idea of selling Schenectady water to other communities is something Gary McCarthy failed to do. McCarthy never revised the H2O contract with Niskayuna and right there, City revenue has been lost. Hull's Seward neighborhood is the ONLY neighborhood in the City where home values are stable. A neighborhood where Union spent over $20 million of their own funds to create.
In my opinion, Hull's ideas are solid and his neighborhood revitalization is one of the only decent areas because the City has not been involved in screwing it up. McCarthy is a career politician - the City is out of money and without any real solutions - McCarthy should be out of office.
Goofy wants to tax you when you have an emergency call. McCarthy gets you coming and going. When you try to sell and can't he tracks you down like a mad dog. When you have a medical emergency he throws another fee at you and tracks you down like a mad dog. Too bad this idiot can't track down pit bulls like a mad dog. But that would turn off his only voting group. Pit bull owners and slumlords for Goofy!
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Did you hear Gary's "idea" for the golf course? Keep watching TV. Pensions up 700% under Goofy, the County's overtime whiz. 
