Ran across this the other day on Masslive's anonymous Northampton forum regarding the city's contract with Am B Care. Whoever you are, thanks for sharing.
In the interest of being honest and open, let me first disclose that I am an employee of Am B Care Ambulance service. I would love to proudly state my name but I can't because this reply is in direct violation of our management's orders to NOT respond to forum chatter or to the lies that have been spread regarding the real issues surrounding the Northampton contract. But I can no longer read this sort of hatred when I know the real story behind the contract. First let me say, Am B Care is a well run, patient orientated company and this is why we hold more contracts in this Valley than any other service. This is why CDH so values our services that they were so willing to extend our contract with them for three more years.
Secondly, Am B Care was invited into the city with promises of run counts that never came close to materializing and was asked to carry two thirds of the operating costs of the partnership. If you check newspaper articles from 07 you will see statements from the get go stating the promised revenues were not there. The 911 business in Northampton is a money loser and the city knows it. Its only a matter of time before everyone will know it. Thirdly, there isn't one person that is in the know that wouldn't say Am B Care employs some the best, most experienced medics in the state. This false competition with the NFD that some found so entertaining was never of Am B Care's doing. It was simply a ploy utilized to agitate the union and to build a divide between the union and Am B Care. It was shameful. Am B Care employees and management have nothing but the utmost respect for the rank and file of the NFD and wish them well and encourage them as they embark on their new mission. We continue to offer them support operationally and honestly want them to succeed. We are NOT their competition, if we wanted the 911 business we wouldn't have canceled the contract. But this point brings me to maybe the most important thing to understand when interpreting the limited but vocal displeasure of some, with Am B Care.
During the darkest hours of the budget crises last spring Am B Care management was approached and asked what they could do for the city because it was apparent that the city could no longer support any of its own ambulances and would be laying off 14 fire fighters. Our management responded with a multi level plan that included offering to raise $100,000 to help support the NFD to help maintain fire fighter jobs, immediately hire any displaced emt's or paramedics, purchase any ambulances the city wouldn't need if the monies would go directly back into the NFD budget to help keep fire fighters employed and to offer a long term deal so the city would have a stable EMS program that they could count on. All of these offers were made with the fire fighters and the citizens interest at heart, as even with the entire 911 system volumes in house, it still projected to be a money loser. Of course these offers were rejected by the city and ultimately used as bargaining chips against the fire fighters union and was successful in getting them to concede raises they negotiated fairly and richly deserved. Yes Am B Care gets accused of abandoning a contract when in reality they simply exercised their rights within the contract to cancel it if it wasn't working out. Something that was true and they had every right to do. But when the city asks the NFD, NPD, DPW and teachers to give them the right to renege on legal and binding contracts, that's just sound fiscal management. Seems like a double standard at play here. Am B Care never cried poor mouth but why should a municipality ask a private company to subsidize its poor management and why should a private company be criticized for choosing to end a contract that it signed under the false pretense that there would be enough revenues to support its operating costs.
In closing, yes Am B Care founded the Kicking in for Springfield Schools organization and fronted a large fund raiser for the benefit of the Springfield public schools. In fact, Am B Care intends to hold several more fund raisers for them in the upcoming year and has committed to several annual events every year going forward to continue its efforts to help the schools out . Am B Care also hosts an annual golf tournament that will be held next month to benefit the Jambo Tanzania organization. This organization builds medical clinics in Tanzania. Next spring Am B Care will host its first annual golf tournament to benefit Community Resources for People with Autism. This organization helps support families in Western MA. with children with Autism. So yes Am B Care has initiated several benevolent projects in the region that it hosts each year, as well as generously contributing to many other worthy causes. Yes Am B Care is guilty of trying to be a good corporate citizen and attempting to improve the community around them. Please remember its offer to raise $100,00 for the benefit of the NFD that was turned down by the city.
So lets hope the new Chicopee base isn't our last expansion because everywhere we go we offer to help the community on many levels. We love the city of Northampton, its fire fighters, its citizens and the wonderful open atmosphere that it has worked so hard to perfect. But most of alI I wish to thank our management for staying on the high road in the face of some pretty dirty politics, even though I couldn't any longer.
In conclussion [sic], I understand the haters will try to pick this message apart but I do not intend to enter into a dialogue with those that will deny and distort the truth. What has been stated here can be fact checked if you wish by many sources. I'm proud of my company and I'm proud of how they continue to stay focused on doing the right thing no matter how many false and ill intended attacks come their way.
