Feature Article March 27, 2003
LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb HomeLand Ambulance dispute gets personalby Jeff Green
Mayor Phil Leonard, the warden of South Frontenac, and Kingston Mayor Isabel Turner have taken to sparring through the media over the future management of Land Ambulance Service in Kingston and the Frontenacs.The dispute stems from a staff recommendation from the Frontenac Management Board (FMB) that the service, which is currently contracted out by the FMB to three service providers, be taken on as a direct in-house service of the board.
Responsibility for Land Ambulance in Kingston and the Frontenacs was downloaded several years ago from the provincial government to the Frontenac Management Board. Based on a formula related to population and ambulance service needs, the city of Kingston pays for the lions share of the service: around 85%.
There has been much back and forth between city and FMB staff since November, when the city requested the issue be brought to a joint staff task force, and the FMB resisted, preferring instead to prepare their own report on the future direction of the service.
Last week, a second report was brought to a meeting with city officials in anticipation of a meeting between the Frontenac Mayors and city politicians, scheduled for Monday March 24.
When the city requested that meeting be put off a week for them to study the 55-page report, the sparing between Leonard and Turner began in earnest.
Last Friday, Phil Leonard responded to Turners request to delay the meeting with a letter to her that said in part, I am very disappointed that the City is not able to deal with the Land Ambulance Futures Option decision on Monday. He further stated that FMB staff had placed the business case for bringing the service in house before the city, and said he is frustrated by the delay and the Citys apparent inability to focus attention on the land ambulance matter. He goes on to reluctantly accept the postponement of the meeting.
To say Mayor Isabel Turner was taken aback by the tone of Leonards letter would be an understatement. She told the News that Leonard had been very friendly on the phone when he verbally accepted postponing the meeting. I was delighted he had accepted the request; and then I received the letter and it made me angry.
Turner immediately sent a letter back to Leonard. It said, in part, It saddens me when you suggest that the city is not able to focus its attention on this matter.
The letter concludes: I would suggest to you, sir, that the delay in making a decision on the matter has not been imposed by the City as you so ungraciously suggest. The delay, as you all know too well, has been caused by the FMBs preference for unilateral action
The tone of the exchange of letters, whose subject was only a one-week delay in meeting, does not suggest that an agreement on the issue by the two parties is likely.
Central Frontenac Mayor Bill Macdonald thinks the city would like to take over the service entirely. What its really all about is a power grab by the city. They would like to make the ambulance service a division of their fire department, which would be a disaster, in my view.
Mayor Turner denies this, saying, We have been accused of wanting to take over the service, which is not true. In our view, what they are doing is trying to fix a system that isnt broken. Turner would like to see the existing ambulance contracts extended for a year in order for the entire situation to be reviewed.
This suggestion is seen by the FMB as tantamount to the city attempting to control something that is the FMBs to decide.
Mayor MacDonald points out that responsibility for just about everything else was downloaded to the city and they run it how they see fit. They arent necessarily very efficient themselves. Maybe they should pay more attention to those other services. They often dont meet provincial service standards.
The land ambulance issue will be discussed at a meeting of the Rural Urban Liaison Committee on Monday, March 31, and a decision on the matter will be made by the Frontenac Management Board at a special meeting scheduled for April 2.
On
one thing both sides agree. The issue will probably not end there. If
the FMB decides to establish their own ambulance service in 2004, the
city will seek to stop them through the legal action.
Pictured (l-r) Isabel
Turner, Bob Runciman & Phil Leonard, turning the turf for the
renovation project at the Fairmount Home in September of 2002.
The City and the FMB narrowly avoided going to court at that
time. can they do so again over land ambulance?
