Hartford Auto Accident Attorneys

Ambulance service can temporarily continue operating

The city’s ambulance service will go on Friday — for now avoiding a catastrophic hole in the city’s 2011-12 budget.

A state Appellate Division judge granted the city a temporary stay Thursday on shutting down the service — though attorneys for Kunkel Ambulance and the state Attorney General’s office will have a chance to overturn it when the issue is revisited later this month.

“There’s a sense of relief right now,” Mayor David Roefaro said. “But at the end of July, we’ll have to do this again.”

City officials were blindsided Monday when a state Department of Health official sent them a letter saying they’d have to shut down the ambulance service by the end of the week.

That would have blown a roughly $800,000 hole in the city’s budget and required major adjustments – from potential service cuts to layoffs – for which city officials admitted at a Thursday news conference that they were unprepared.

If a permanent stay is granted, the issue likely will become a footnote in the city’s broader effort to gain a Certificate of Need and formalize once-and-for-all the municipal ambulance service.

A state Supreme Court Judge recently ruled against the city, saying regional and state Emergency Medical Services councils abided by the rules when they denied the city’s Certificate of Need application.

The city is appealing that decision to the Appellate Division, where a panel of five judges will come to a decision; a move that likely is months away. The ability to appeal from there to the state’s highest court is limited.

At Thursday’s news conference, held by City Hall, both Roefaro and Fire Chief Russell Brooks said the city’s ambulance service provides a much-needed continuity of care – where firefighters provide first aid at a scene and continue to do so on an ambulance until they reach the hospital.

The Fire Department responded to roughly 9,000 calls last year.

“It would be the equivalent of one of the hospitals closing,” Brooks said of losing the ambulance service. “It’s a tragedy that people 100 miles away are determining what our citizens need.”

Roefaro later said the city would work on being more prepared in the eventuality it loses the ability to run the service.

Comptroller Michael Cerminaro and Common Council Majority Leader Lorraine Arcuri, D-at large, also spoke in support of the ambulance service.

Hartford County Auto Accident Attorneys of Newman Creed ...

Bristol, CT (Vocus/PRWEB) February 14, 2011

The Hartford County automobile accident lawyers at Newman Creed & Associates recently launched their website, providing a valuable online legal resource to current and potential clients. The site offers helpful information to remove some of the fear and uncertainty from the legal process, including basic information on Connecticut accident laws.

“The newer website design allows our clients and prospective clients to get a better picture of our overall mission—to provide personalized attention and vigorous representation to individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic, serious injuries and to obtain for them the greatest possible financial recovery for their losses,” says senior partner, Bruce E. Newman.

Website visitors will also learn how the experienced attorneys at Newman Creed & Associates can assist them with their legal case. The firm has developed a reputation for maintaining high ethical standards while aggressively representing clients throughout Hartford County in accident legal matters.

Attorneys at Newman Creed & Associates primarily in the following areas: Catastrophic Injuries

The Hartford County CT car accident lawyers at Newman Creed & Associates consistently achieve positive verdicts and settlements for clients. Mr. Newman and Mr. Creed have each won numerous cases resulting in compensation of more than a million dollars for their client’s injuries.

Visit http://www.ctautolawyer.com to reach out to Newman Creed & Associates online—or call us at 888-300-4469—to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our automobile accident lawyers. We routinely work with clients in Hartford County, New Haven County, Middlesex County, and Litchfield County.

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