The State of Massachusetts has announced a mediation effort to resolve an ongoing dispute between Granby and South Hadley Fire District 2 concerning coverage of ambulance service.  For several months, there have been complaints over wasted resources due to dual responses to ambulance calls stemming from a territorial dispute between the two ambulance services, each believing they service the same area.  Citing public health concerns, the State ordered the two services to resolve their differences.  Due to their failure to do so, it is bringing both sides to the mediation room.

The Department of Public Health has issued a January 4^th deadline for the two services to resolve the territorial dispute or face further disciplinary action.  The Department of Public Health has authority over the Office of Emergency Medical Services.

The mediation is also intended to address more than simply the problem of dual responses to emergency calls.  Other issues to be addressed include self-deploying emergency medical service personnel and other first responders without waiting for dispatch orders, unacceptably long delays in dispatch, and frequent on-scene disputes and arguments resulting from dual responses.  Although cited as separate issues, the expectation is that all of these problems stem from the territorial dispute as EMS services are arriving at the same emergency calls and then delaying deployment to other scenes due to arguments and other encounters.  It is also assumed that EMS personnel are intercepting the calls of the other service and inappropriately self-deploying to the scene in an attempt to “poach” the emergency.

While the mediation is expected to be ultimately effective, there is no statement from either emergency service explaining the undisciplined and often childish behavior of each ambulance service.  Both services are expected to have representatives actively participate in the mediation.