Webster Town Board
January 11, 2024
A workshop meeting of the Webster Town Board was called to order by Supervisor Flaherty at
5:30 p.m. at the Webster Town Board Meeting Room, 1002 Ridge Road, Webster, New York,
with the following officials present:
Supervisor ................................................................................ Thomas J. Flaherty
Councilwoman .......................................................................... Patricia T. Cataldi
Councilman .......................................................................................John J. Cahill
Councilwoman ........................................................................... Ginny L. Nguyen
Councilwoman .......................................................................... Jennifer S. Wright
Town Attorney ........................................................................... Charles J. Genese
Town Clerk ........................................................................... Dorothy M. Maguire
Department Heads Present:
Communications Director .............................................................. Bridget Harvey
Finance Director.................................................................................. Paul Adams
***
Paul Adams, Finance Director, appeared before the Town Board to present a Capital Project
Scorecard Matrix. He stated the reason for the Scorecard Matrix was to come up with some
metrics to measure Capital Projects both historically and the ones that are currently in process.
Having this information would provide a quick look at the status of all Town Projects.
Following the presentation, a general discussion took place.
***
Bridget Harvey, Communications Director, provided an update on the building of the new
Webster Department of Communications.
Before presenting the update, Communications Director Harvey, stated that over the past two
months several staff members have been meeting to discuss potential solutions for the production
of Town Board, Zoning Board and Planning Board meeting videos that are practical, sustainable
and efficient use of taxpayer dollars all while producing quality videos. Most recently the Town
has enlisted the help of a consultant, Dan Agnew, for this process. He has significant experience
in the AV field. Tonight, a new video system is being tested that she is hopeful may lead to
improvements in the recording process of all various Board meetings. However, it is a process,
and the Town Board will be continually updated of the findings.
Year one priority for the new Department of Communications will be focusing on collaboration
with Town departments, informative and positive public outreach and consistency of
communications coming from the Town of Webster. To support these, Communications
Director Harvey in addition to the day-to-day work, will be taking on two major projects:
creating a strategic communications plan in an organization style guide. She foresees them being
reviewed by the Town Board within the coming year.
***
Supervisor Flaherty handed out to the public in attendance a document titled January 11, 2024
Update on EMS in Webster and then read aloud the following Agenda Item.
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Update and discussion on Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life Support better known as NEQALS
and their coverage of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Webster in light of the 90-day
notice that they issued to the Town on December 29, 2023 and NEQALS announcement on
January 9, 2024 that they will be reducing their staff and/or rigs (ambulances) as of Saturday
January 13, 2024.
January 11, 2024 Update on EMS in Webster
November 21, 2023: NEQALS attorney sends letter to Town attorney stating $221K must be
committed by Town to NEQALS by December 8th or NEQALS may need to issue notice of
discontinuance.
December 14, 2023: Motion at Town Board meeting for emergency $60K to NEQALS is not
seconded.
December 26, 2023: Several Town officials meet with New York State and Monroe County
EMS governance officials to discern options for the Town should NEQALS no longer be the
Town’s outsourced ambulance service in the future.
December 29, 2023: NEQALS submits formal 90-day notice to Town of Webster.
January 2, 2024: Town submits formal acknowledgement letter to NEQALS on the 90-day
notice, including estoppel on NEQALS obtaining any more fuel on credit from the Webster
Highway garage until they made the Town whole on their approx. $42,000+ outstanding bill.
January 3, 2024: NEQALS hand delivered a $40,000+ check to the Town for past due fuel bill.
As such, there was NO break in NEQALS transport ambulances or fly cars being able to fuel up
at the Town Highway Garage
January 4, 2024: Town Board meeting presentation by Penfield Volunteer Ambulance (PVA)
on how Mutual Aid works and how many 911 calls for ambulance had come into Webster since
NEQALS December 29th, 2023, 90-day notice, and how many of those calls were covered by
WEMS/NEQALS and how many needed mutual aid.
January 5, 2024: PVA starts the process to assist the Town of Webster in "expanding" their
municipal CON from BLS/BLS transport, to include ALS too in advance of when the 90-day
notice period ends in late March 2024.
January 8, 2024: John Cahill, Webster Town Board and liaison to EMS, and Tom Flaherty,
Town Supervisor, are guests at the PVA monthly board meeting.
January 9, 2024: Town finds out about a NEQALS internal staff e-mail that NEQALS Board is
planning to reduce the staffing of BLS/Transport Ambulances to cover Webster as of Saturday
January 13th. As of Thursday, January 11th, NEQALS Board has not communicated this directly
to the Town of Webster.
January 10, 2024: Town officials meet for the 2nd time with New York State and Monroe
County EMS governance officials.
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January 11, 2024: Town Board workshop presentation/discussion on EMS and proposed
resolution to name PVA primary agency in West Webster affective Saturday, January 13th.
911 Ambulance Calls in Webster- December 30-January 11:
Total Calls 146 (Approx. 11.2 calls per day)
NEQALS/WEMS coverage 124 (85%)
January 13th - March 28th Proposed EMS coverage in Webster:
Penfield Volunteer Ambulance (PVA) will be primary with
WEMS/NEQALS second and Mutual aid thereafter. PVA will have full staffed (EMT and
Paramedic) transport Ambulance(s) at the Gravel Road firehouse.
WEMS/NEQALS will be primary with mutual aid thereafter.
WEMS/NEQALS will have their base of operations on Jackson Road. It is assumed they will
utilize full staffed (EMT and Paramedic) transport Ambulance(s) or BLS Transport Ambulance
with supplement of a fly car with a Paramedic for ALS calls.
Contingency Plan(s) January 13th-March 28th: 911 EMS calls will be monitored daily in
both West Webster and East Webster to determine current response times and how many are
covered by primary and how many are mutual aided.
Compass of decision making by the Town will continue to focus on what is the best interests of
the approx. 330 citizens on average each month who require Ambulance services in the Town of
Webster. Town has authority to take emergency measures outside the resolution process of a
Town Board meeting should public safety be risked.
March 28, 2024 and beyond: The Town Board will continue to work with New York State and
Monroe County EMS governance along with PVA leadership and other EMS leaders to discern
the best short term and long term option(s) for EMS in Webster. Such option(s) need to balance
patient care, EMT/Paramedic working conditions, and fiscal responsibility.
***
Following the update and discussion, the Town Board considered the following Resolution:
Resolution No. 61: MOTION by Supervisor Flaherty, seconded by Councilman Cahill, to name
Penfield Volunteer Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc. (PVEA) as the responding agency for
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the West Webster Fire District portion of the Town of
Webster as of 12:00 A.M., midnight, on Saturday, January 13, 2024.
Vote on motion:
Supervisor Flaherty .............Aye
Councilwoman Cataldi ..... Aye
Councilman Cahill ..............Aye
Councilwoman Nguyen .... Aye
Councilwoman Wright……Aye
Motion carried ................. 5-0
***
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at
6:18 p.m.
___________________________
Dorothy M. Maguire, Town Clerk
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