Essex County helps emergency responders save

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January 25, 2010

By LOHR McKINSTRY The Press Republican Tue Jan 26, 2010, 12:17 AM EST

ELIZABETHTOWN — Fire and ambulance companies in Essex County are expected to save thousands of dollars on workers' compensation insurance by having the county assume responsibility for the program.

The County Board of Supervisors gave tentative approval to the change Monday, with a final vote next Monday morning.

The county plans to authorize a pass-through account of $304,000 for workers' compensation for fire and ambulance volunteers in Essex County.

By buying the insurance through the county, instead of individually, the fire and ambulance groups should save substantial amounts of money, Board of Supervisors Chair Randy Douglas (D-Jay) said.

"Just for the four departments in my town we saved almost $30,000, so it is a benefit to the taxpayers, and, hopefully, we can maintain those rates for a few years to come."

The county gets a lower rate for workers' compensation insurance than an individual entity like a fire district or ambulance corps.

Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah) said the groups in his town also saved thousands of dollars.

"We saw a substantial savings with three departments and the ambulance squad."

He said the County Treasurer's Office will bill the departments directly for their workers' compensation payments.

"If they don't pay their portion, that would go right out as a (property-tax) chargeback, I assume?"

County Manager Daniel Palmer said he doesn't know if the county has the authority to do that with fire districts.

"But it is going to be the same situation. We are going to forward the billing on to the insurance company, and if they don't pay, then there is the possible cancellation, so they are going to have to pay, obviously."

Clerk of the Board Deborah Palmer administers the county's workers' compensation fund.

"I am going to have to let (County Treasurer) Mike Diskin know, too, if a fire company or ambulance (squad) doesn't pay," she said. "We are going to have to know so we can deal with it."

A procedure will be set up as part of the program, according to County Attorney Daniel Manning III.

Supervisor Joyce Morency (R-St. Armand) said her town has just one fire department.

"The billing was actually around $1,000 difference (less), which is a big deal in my fire district. It was the best move we (Board of Supervisors) made in a long time."

E-mail Lohr McKinstry at: lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com