Ambulance provider joins Rensselaer clash
Company, Democratic council both suing Republican mayor
Mohawk Ambulance has jumped into the court fight over whether it or another ambulance company will provide EMS services in the city — a dispute that has become a political and legal struggle between the Republican mayor and Democratic Common Council.
Mohawk is challenging Mayor Michael Stammel’s signing of an agreement with Empire Ambulance Service to provide coverage in the city. Mohawk wants the court to enforce a Common Council resolution naming it as the provider.
The company’s lawsuit — naming the mayor and Empire as defendants — is the latest challenge to Stammel’s original position that it will take a judge’s order to get him to sign a renewal contract with Mohawk.
The suit is the second filed that’s related to the dispute. The first came earlier this year when the Common Council went to court against Stammel’s decision to sign with Empire after he vetoed the council’s original resolution to continue with Mohawk. The Common Council overrode Stammel’s veto, leading to the legal battle.
“We have served the residents of Rensselaer well for 20 years and as their contracted ALS (Advanced Life Support) provider since 2012. We filed this lawsuit for a reason, as we believe the actions taken by the mayor were unilateral and inappropriate. We look forward to our day in court,” a Mohawk spokesman said Wednesday.
“They’re the bullies in this situation,” Stammel said about Mohawk suing him.
Stammel said in appointing Empire as the city’s priority ambulance service he was following precedent set by former Democratic Mayor Dan Dwyer when Mohawk received the previous three-year contract.
Both lawsuits are scheduled for a conference on Sept. 21 before State Supreme Court Justice Richard J. Mcnally in Rensselaer County Court.
The designated ambulance service is the primary responder to emergency medical service calls in the city of 9,392 people.
The county dispatch center would send the initial 911 notifications. The city does not pay for the ambulance coverage.
During the 2019 mayoral election, Stammel’s campaign included his promise to contract with an ambulance service that was based within the municipality. The Rensselaer Volunteer Ambulance Service stopped providing coverage years ago. At one time, the volunteers worked with Empire.
The Democrats previously argued that Stammel should have issued a request for proposals if he wanted to consider changing the ambulance service provider. Stammel claimed he didn’t issue a formal request for proposal but sought quotes from the two private ambulance companies.