New Milford,CT New Ambulance Station

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I saw today plans for a new New Milford, CT Ambulance Station. Looked to be a pretty big, three bay building.

Anyone of our Northern Fairifeld County members know where this new building is going to be located, and how it's going to be funded?

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Here is a little more info.

Jul 13 2007 11:15 AM

Council debates need for new ambulance barn

By Nanci G. Hutson

STAFF WRITER

The debate over funding a new ambulance barn in New Milford is continuing in another two weeks.

At least three New Milford Town Council members want information that a volunteer ambulance service is likely to exist for at least another decade before asking voters to spend $3.7 million to build a new barn on 3.2 acres of the town-owned former Century Brass mill site off Housatonic Avenue.

The issue is expected to be addressed again at the council's July 23 meeting.

After a lengthy discussion Monday night about the merits of a new building, four council members voted to send the proposal to the Board of Finance for bonding approval and then to a Town Meeting in August.

But the charter requires that five of the nine council members approve.

With three opposed and members Pete Bass and Peter Mullen absent, the council did not have the five necessary votes.

Mayor Pat Murphy said voting on the matter in two weeks will allow time for the ambulance facility committee to supply the information the dissenting council members wanted.

She said that it would also give the town's bond counsel time to draft the required bonding resolution for the council to approve.

Council members John Lillis, Pat Sherry and Theresa Volinski all voted against sending it forward until written analysis provides more reasons why the facility is needed.

In asking voters to spend that amount of money, Mr. Lillis said, he believes it is imperative they have confidence that the town will continue to have a "sustainable" volunteer ambulance company for the foreseeable future.

Council member Ray O'Brien, a member of the ambulance facility committee, said he believes that the ambulance service has proven it is sustainable.

"If we do nothing, the sustainability will be seriously eroded, and that would be a serious disservice to New Milford," Mr. O'Brien said.

All agreed a paid ambulance service would cost far more than what the nonprofit organization is asking for with a new building.

Council members who favored moving the project forward immediately argued that even if the town ends up with a paid ambulance service at some point, the facility will still be necessary.

Mr. Lillis countered that he simply wants whatever firm data can be obtained to show residents that it is a needed and responsible purchase.

For more than two years, the New Milford Community Volunteer Ambulance Corp. has been considering the most affordable options to serve the needs of the ambulance service, which has some 60 volunteers.

The building the volunteer organization has occupied since 1971, on the corner of Young's Field Road just north of the town recycling center, is too cramped to allow required training and adequate storage of ambulances and other equipment.

Last year ambulance volunteers answered some 1,500 calls.

The proposed 10,000-square-foot facility would have room for three ambulances, as well as a large training room.

The Planning Commission has endorsed the project.

Ambulance volunteer and facility committee chairman Jack Oxton said he believes a new facility will prove an even bigger attraction.

Council member Robert Guendelsberger said he is concerned with the price, but he supports the ambulance corps' efforts.

"It just seems the right thing to do," Mr. Guendelsberger said.

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3.7 Million for an ambulance station with 3 bays!!. Put Valley's new building was little over a Million with 3 bays (oversized, you could probably reconfigure for 6), offices for line and admin officers, gym, two ready/rec rooms, full kitchen, full hall and some miscelaneous spaces. What is New Milford getting? Mahopacs new firehouse is huge (8 bays some double) and was only around 8 Million.

That and the statement that a paid ambulance service would be more than a new building? 3.7 mil will fund paid staff for quite awhile. This is not meant to disparage NM VAC, don't know much about them, just the numbers and statments in the article are a little suprising.

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Update

http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.ph...p;source=tabbox