A line item on “presentation and discussion and possible action of Silver Lake Rescue counter offer” has been added to the agenda of the Silver Lake Village Board Special Meeting Wednesday at Riverview School.
The board had originally scheduled the special meeting to discuss an agreement with Salem Fire/Rescue for emergency medical services after a regular Village Board last week with that agenda item filled the Village Hall meeting room to over capacity.
The village is considering discontinuing its long-standing contract with Silver Lake Rescue Inc. in favor of an arrangement with Salem Fire/Rescue for EMS with Silver Lake Fire Department firefighters acting as first responders.
Silver Lake Rescue is a free standing entity while the Silver Lake Fire Department is part of the village government.
The village has been paying Silver Lake Rescue $27,000 a year for its services.
Earlier discussion of the proposed arrangement with Salem was that there would be no charge to the village for its services but that in exchange Silver Lake FD would cover some additional area for Salem Fire/Rescue. More details of that agreement might be revealed today when the Salem Town Board considers it at its regular meeting.
UPDATE 6:07 p.m. — Silver Lake Rescue President Dan Gerber shared the following information about that organization’s offer:
… In September of this year Silver Lake Rescue Squad Inc. sent our proposal to the Silver Lake Village Board. The proposal states that we would provide the same service as we have in the past for a one year agreement of $27,000. We also added a 3 year proposal for $25,000 per year. This is the first time I have heard of it being on an agenda to be discussed. Both proposals included 24/7 365 Intermediate Tech level service. We are also very glad to at least see it on an agenda to be discussed, this was if the village board decides to discontinue our service and go with a Town of Salem controlled ambulance service, I think my department would grateful that after 53 years of dedicated service that … at least our proposal was discussed.
What I don’t understand in all this is why doesn’t Silver Lake rescue just become part of the Silver Lake government like the fire department? Would it cost too much?
Because Silver Lake government is a bunch of butt heads. Why give up the service, when its right here.
The village makes some dumb decisions alot of the time. Especially under this “president”. I cant believe that people are backing this. Why not train the cops to be EMT’s, they are in everyone else’s business anyways, they can be at a call before it gets called in. Talk about response time.
Uh huh, I hope you will attend tomorrow night’s meeting. Many residents don’t support this and we need to tell the board that. And lol about the cops, sad but true. I wish if it were a budget issue they would cut some from the police, SL doesn’t need 3 cops to respond to a call for speeding !! The meeting is Wed Dec 12 at Riverview 7 pm
Can we say off subject…. police have NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. stay on subject. This police dept is great and since when is great patrol a bad thing? You dont realize what you have….. geezze. Silver Lake.