By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWPORT, N.H. — The town of Newport published a request for proposal on its website on Thursday to bid out emergency medical services, specifically for ambulances, with officials saying it is due to a dramatically increasing EMS call volume.
While nothing is set in stone, the RFP came as a surprise to some firefighters, as shown through a Facebook post by the Professional Firefighters of Newport.
Newport Town Manager Kyle Harris said that the RFP is “preliminary research for upcoming budget season.” The RFP asks for “two fully staffed ALS ambulances with providers at the Advanced EMT or higher certification.” The contract would start on July 1, 2025, and run through June 30, 2026, with an opportunity to extend, the RFP stated.
“Our call volume is up significantly in the fire department, especially for EMS calls,” Harris said. “We’re just trying to find the most cost-effective way to maintain our EMS service. No decisions have been made. We’re just doing some exploration.”
In response to the Facebook post, Harris said, “the fire chief actually wrote up the RFP, so the head of the fire department is well aware of this.”
Fire Chief Steve Yanuzzi confirmed that he wrote the RFP but added that it was the town’s choice.
“It was their idea,” Yanuzzi said. “Not out of this fire station.”
However, he said that he has indicated publicly in various board meetings that there is a need for more staff. In an October presentation by Yanuzzi to the board of selectmen, he said there are seven full-time members, and 28 personnel on the call/per diem roster. Some of the per diem workers are full-time at other departments and only work one to two shifts per month, while others are part of the call staff.
The report stated that on average there are 67 hours per week without per diem coverage, and that there are “just not enough personnel for the available shifts.”
“The department struggles with finding consistent per diem personnel to cover all the available shifts,” Yanuzzi’s report stated. “As the department call volume increases the current staffing model we use is going to become unsustainable.”
Yanuzzi said he informed the staff of the RFP on Wednesday night, but the Professional Firefighters of Newport issued a Facebook post Thursday that showed that they felt blindsided and were concerned for their job security.
“As many of the townspeople and surrounding communities have seen, there was a “Request for Proposal” published to bid out emergency medical services to the Town of Newport. Along with many of you, we were just as surprised to see this,” the post stated.
The post continued, “The Professional Firefighters of Newport strive to provide the best service we possibly can to our citizens and are humbled to see the support we have received from many people in the community. Many of our staff are members of this community and we will fight not only to save our jobs but to ensure that our townspeople continue to get the best possible service from people that care about the news it serves.”
The post had 45 “likes” and “loves” in the first four hours it was posted, and multiple people voiced their support for the firefighters with praise about their work. Some were also critical of the decision to put out the RFP.
A message was left with Professional Firefighters of Newport President Steve Dube, who is a lieutenant in the department, but it was not returned by deadline.
Harris said that this has nothing to do with the quality of work of the Newport Fire Department, calling the firefighters “excellent.”
“We still need firefighters,” Harris said. “This is simply the EMS aspect of the town. Our call volume is … I want to say it is higher than Claremont now, which is twice the size.”
According to the RFP, the EMS responses have increased exponentially over the past three years. In 2021 there were 1,218 responses, which increased to 1,280 in 2022 and 1,343 in 2023. Yanuzzi’s report showed that as of October 22, there were 1,065 EMS calls and counting. Between 2020 and 2023 there was a 21.3% increase in EMS calls, and 17.2% rise in total calls.
The post by the Professional Firefighters of Newport indicated a concern over job security, and when asked if there should be reason for concern, Harris said there is still a need for 24-hour coverage at the firehouse, so there will be a need for the firefighters in place.
Harris explained that the RFP will be sent out to a number of ambulance services, and the town will evaluate their price and services. He said it is important for the town to look into all options and do their due diligence.
“It’s not going to be a rushed decision,” Harris said. “It is a decision that the public will be greatly involved in, but we need a base point. What are the costs? Is having firefighters and EMTs as town employees the best way to go about our business? Or is there a different option?”
The RFP has a closing date of Dec. 20 listed on the website. To view the RFP and Yanuzzi’s report, log onto newportnh.gov.
