The future of ambulance service remains up in the air in Wethersfield. The town manager is pushing a plan that could do away with a local non-profit and instead rely on a company.
He says without this switch there could be longer response times. The non-profit service disputes that and its supporters hope the town backs off from the plan.
At a town council meeting on Monday, many spoke in support of the Wethersfield Emergency Medical Services.
While it’s provided ambulance service here since 1956, the non-profit is worried that could soon end.
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“It's heartbreaking because we are like a family and we treat every patient in this town like their family. We know these people. We've grown up with these people. We've lived near these people,” said Wethersfield Ambulance Assistant Chief Robert Pelletier.
Right now, Wethersfield ambulance provides coverage along with Aetna Ambulance Service.
Wethersfield says it proposed changes including adding paramedic service from East Windsor.
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In a message, the town manager wrote in part:
“The plan presented by WEMSA does not, in the opinion of our first responder staff, even come close to the level of service needed to adequately serve our community. We took the only action we could to protect our citizens.”
The town filed an emergency petition with the Department of Public Health asking for Aetna to take over as the primary responder.
Wethersfield ambulance argues that could lead to it closing and ending a service it feels it can adequately provide.
We reached out to Aetna for comment, but have not yet heard back.
A state hearing is being planned and DPH will later decide how service should go forward.
