BERLIN– Town officials agreed to reallocate about $8,900 in unspent funds to the Berlin Fire Company.
At the request of Berlin Fire Company (BFC) President David Fitzgerald, the Berlin Town Council voted 4-1 this week to provide the agency with the roughly $8,900 left from the company’s prior year’s grant. Municipal officials want the funding to be used toward providing EMS coverage during special events in town.
“If we have the additional funding we need the emergency medical staffing for our events to make it safer,” Mayor Zack Tyndall said.
Following a work session with BFC officials, the agency submitted a written request for a reallocation of the leftover funds. Fitzgerald wrote that the agency was hoping the town would let the agency use the funding to go toward either ambulance replacement or to the reestablishment of a contingency fund for EMS.
Councilman Steve Green said he would rather see the funds go toward ambulance replacement.
“I would prefer to see those funds used for EMS capital rather than just put back into the budget that’s already funded,” he said.
Tyndall noted the town earlier in the meeting agreed to divert $45,000 in casino revenue toward ambulance replacement. He said he’d like to see an ambulance at Berlin’s special events.
Councilman Jay Knerr said that during the work session the fire company said they were short on equipment funding.
Tyndall maintained that emergency medical service at special events was critical.
“I would be behind that,” Green said.
When it was pointed out the fire company had requested the funding go toward capital or contingency, Tyndall said the casino revenue was helping fund capital.
“It’s purely your choice,” Town Administrator Mary Bohlen said. “It is your choice whether to reallocate or hold on to it.”
The council voted 4-1, with Councilman Dean Burrell opposed, to reallocate the $8,900 in funding to the Berlin Fire Company to be used to provide emergency medical service coverage at certain special events within Berlin. Tyndall said police had created a list of specific events where coverage should be augmented and that he’d provide it to the BFC.
Burrell indicated he opposed the motion because it mandated how the fire company should use the funding.
“I really do believe that we should not put strings to how they use these funds as long as it’s being used by them to facilitate staffing of these ambulances,” he said.
