The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, March 29 , 1989 5 By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff The March 7 accident in which a Harveys Lake woman was trapped in her car after it ran into the lake, and the incidents that followed, have created a controversy over whether the Back Mountain Communication Center has a responsibility to answer calls of an urgent nature regardless of who they come from. NEWS ANALYSIS While John Martinson, the Harveys Lake fire chief, thinks the center should have answered his department's call for assistance, the center has maintained that. it would risk | destroying its financial base if it accepted radio calls from non- payers. And Martinson himself has said that the outcome of the March 7 accident would not have been different had the center responded. The four municipalities that belong to the CommCenter pay $17,502 each yearly for service rendered to their police departments. The eight member fire departments pay $1,500 yearly and were assessed $600 when the center began. The focus of the question is onresponse torequests by radio, since CommCenter personnel say the expense of installing the facility's radio equipment was the reason paying fire department memberships were initiated. In the case of Harveys Lake, for example, the police department is a member but the fire department is not. Therefore, the police use the CommCenter's extensive radio facilities, while the fire department must call on the telephone if it requires assistance. According toHugh Gallagher, rescue captain of the Kingston Township Ambulance: Association, that is exactly how things were done for everyone before the CommCenter went on line last year. “If you are a non-member, you call Medic 1 (the mobile intensive care unit), on the telephone, just like before the CommCenter started,” Center members are careful to point out that they don't want the issue to escalate into a war between them and Harveys Lake Gallagher said Sunday. The Kingston Township ambulance . group is the only independent ambulance department in the Back Mountain, Gallagher said, so itbelongs to the CommCenter directly rather than as part of a fire company. Gallagher, like other center members, was eager to point out that the center was not interested in a battle with the Harveys Lake fire department over the service. “We're not trying to get into an argument with Harveys Lake,” he said. “We're just saying that we are very pleased with the center's service.” Gallagher said that use of the CommCenter had cut the dispatch time for his rescue units in half. And he estimated the real cost of his group's annual dues at only $300 to $400, since using the center's facilities has reduced telephone and radio costs. If Luzerne County's system was equal to that of most other counties, the Back Mountain center might not even exist, Gallaghersaid. “Luzerne County is 20 years behind the times,” he commented. “Most other counties have countywide dispatching.” : : All member fire and police departments of the CommCenter who were contacted by The Post echoed Gallagher's satisfaction with the CommCenter’s performance, and supported its policy of not responding to non- member's calls. “It’s like having state-of-the-art equipment against 20 year-old equipment,” said Jack Dodson, fire chief in Kunkle and president of the Back Mountain Firemen's Controversy focuses on use of radio communication Association. Dodson said Sunday that the eight fire departments that belong to the CommCenter would release a joint statement Wednesday. While he would not comment on the content of the statement, Dodson had said earlier that all members were pleased with the centerand supported its position in the March 7 incident. Nesbitt Memorial Hospital's mobile intensive care unit, Medic 1, was the object of Harveys Lake's call on March 7. The hospital reportedly pays $10,000 a year to the CommCenter for the center to “act as a base radio station for Medic 1. Members of the CommCenter may call the center on the radio when requesting + assistance from the unit, and the center then dispatches Medic 1. Non-members must call for Medic 1 on a phone line, which rings simultaneously at the CommCenter and at the Medic 1 garage. Kevin Ross, associate administrator of Nesbitt Hospital, said last week that he has some questions about the present CommCenter policy of not responding to non-member calls. “Overall, we are happy with the way the system works,” he said. “There are some philosophical differences. Hospitals in general respond to any emergency; the patient's got to come first,” he continued. Ross said, however, that one of thereasons the hospital joined the center was their understanding that only members would be served. “In principle we support the Back Mountain Communications Center and the principle of having a communications network.” Ross said. Inquiries to the Luzerne and Wyoming county communication centers revealed that they both answer all calls received. Both of those centers are entirely tax supported, and that makes a difference, say members of the Back Mountain center. Harveys Lake fire company turns down offer of funds to join CommCenter By SCOTT CRISPELL Post Correspondent Several members of the Daniel C. Roberts Volunteer Fire Com- pany attended the Harveys Lake Borough Council meeting last Tuesday to announce that they do not wish to join the Back Mountain Communications Center. Fire Chief John Martinson told council members. that a major: reason that D.C. Roberts decided . not to join is a matter of policy. “Right now,” said Martinson, “the policy with the communica- tions center is that if you don’t pay an annual fee, they will sit there while your house burns down. I think that policy is despicable.” Ambulance Captain Frank Lutinski echoed Martinson’s feel- ings. “The original intent of the communications center was that of mutual aid,” Lutinski said. “They have lost the original intent of the mutual aid concept.” “They refuse to talk to us be- cause we don't pay,” Lutinski continued. “I don't like the idea at all. Until they get their policy straightened out, I can’t see why Harveys Lake should join.” Martinson and the fire company received the complete support of the council although there were some questions concerning the matter. “I think they're doing a fantasitc job,” said council chairman Ed Kelly. “Council will back whatever decision you make.” However, councilman Joseph Sgarlat asked the question that was on everyone's mind. “If we did belong to the communications center, would the outcome of this accident have been any different?” USED PIANO'S Spinets & Consoles starting at $550 For Sale Or Rental HILL'S PIANOS Wilkes-Barre, PA 823-4900 "They have lost the original intent of the mutual aid concept” Frank Lutinski Harveys Lake Ambulance Captain GRAND OPENING R & B's SALON 661 Memorial Hwy., Dallas 675-5166 Experienced hairdressers Rita Busch and Barbara Dymond combine their talents for you. Tuesday through Saturday starting at 8:00 a.m. Evening hours available. Services: . FROSTING « WASH & SET - PERMS « HIGHLIGHTING « HAIR CUTTING - TANNING - NAILS - WAXING Sgarlat was referring to the accident of March 7 when a car driven by Judy Davis, the wife of a Harveys Lake fireman, plunged into the lake and she was trapped in- side her car. The dispatcher at the Back Mountain Communications Cen- ter refused to transfer a radio call to Nesbitt Hospital's Medic 1 unit because the Harveys Lake fire department is not a paying mem- ber of the center. Davis has been in critical condition at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital since the acci- dent. Martinson responded to the question with a simple but defi- nite, “No.” Martinson wanted to make it perfectly clear that the D.C. Roberts is doing an outstanding job with- out being a member of the commu- nication center. “I want to reasure all Harveys Lake residents that their livesaren't in danger because we aren't a member,” said Martinson. Rich Williams, a trustee of the fire company, agreed with Martin- son. “We feel we are handling ourselves very effectively,” said Williams. “We know council will support our decision. I hope people don't feel that they aren't being properly serviced.” Martinson also urged the coun- cil to inspect the policy of the communication center to which Harveys Lake pays $17,000 annu- ally for their police department's membership. While the fire company received support for their decison, officials feel that it is necessary for the police department to belong to the commnunication center.. Mayor Joseph Boyle said, “It's a necessity for the police. It is a tremendous cost, but it would cost us even more to have our own. As far as the police are concerned, the communications center has been excellent. We need it to protect the citizens of Harveys Lake." 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'til 3 p.m. Dispute (continued from page 1) quire that a department replace its paging equipment at substantial cost. “We spent $5,000 on radio equipment the same year the CommCenter started,” said Martin- son. “What were we supposed to do, spend another $8,000 over the next five years?” he asked. He said there were other issues at the time, including what would happen if one of the member municipalities were to pull out at some point. “There were lots of issues, not just economic ones,” he said. When asked if the Harveys Lake fire department would consider joining the CommCenter now, Martinson declined to answer, saying that after last week's Bor- ough Council meeting the depart- ment's trustees had met and de- cided to make no more comments on the issue. In addition to the cost of the equipment, the center has an annual operating budget of nearly $100,000, most of which is for dispatchers’ salaries. The center is manned around the clock, and Miers said that many times the | volume of calls creates a need for two dispatchers. If that happens now, members usually send one of their personnel to the center to assist. While the police departments’ annual payments cover the oper- ating costs of the center, the fire departments’ contribution mainly pays lor the radio equipment. “We have the latest and best equip- ment,” Jack Dodson, head of the Back Mountain Firemen's Asso- ciation said last week. Dodson, like other members of the CommCenter, maintains that serving non-members would de- stroy the financial integrity of the center. “I feel we're doing this for the most people; somehow we have to pay for it,” he said. “We are going to continue to do for the largest number of participants and see that the most people get the best service.” The issue of dues paying mem- bership is taken seriously by par- ticipating departments because they fear that if the center re- | sponds to non-members calls, there is no incentive to join and the whole concept falls apart. “They (non-members), think they can do the same as a member. Ifthat’s the case, | may as well pull out and get the same service,” said Hugh Gal- lagher, rescue captain of the King- ston Township Ambulance Asso- ciation, a member of the CommcCenter. But members are also quick to point out that they would accept Harveys Lake, or any other non- member. “There is no animosity towards Harveys Lake,” said Miers. “We would accept them with open arms if they wanted to join.” Adpot-a-pet This cute Labrador mix black and white puppy was found either lost or dropped off in High Point " Acres, Dallas. The four-month old pet has had her shots and is look- ing for someone to take her with them and give her a good home. With a little tender loving care, she will become someone's best friend. Drop in to see her at the SPCA, Fox Hill Road, Wilkes-Barre or phone 825-4111. This handy travel sewing Kit absolutely free if you subscribe now! Right now there's even more reason to order a subscription toThe Dallas Post - when you do we'll send you this useful sewing kit, small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, yet containing everything you need for those emergency repairs when away from home.* weather in the coupon below. 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