The Wilton Ambulance is undergoing restructuring, and that new structure does not include current Ambulance Chief Steve Desrosiers.
Desrosiers met with the Wilton Select Board on Monday, where he was told the board had eliminated the position of ambulance chief, and would be moving forward with a new structure for the department, with an administrator at its head.
“They basically fired me, in a somewhat polite way,” Desrosiers said in an interview Wednesday. “I’m extremely disappointed. I put my heart and soul into bringing the ambulance up to the current level of service it is today.”
Desrosiers said the decision to restructure was made without his input, or, to his knowledge, the input of anyone else working on the ambulance department or from the public.
Desrosiers took over the department two years ago from former chief Gary Zirpolo, who quit the department citing low pay and onerous work hours.
Desrosiers said he was given the option to continue his position as chief until April 1.
When contacted, Wilton Selectman Kermit Williams said he could not comment on any action taken in a nonpublic session, and would neither confirm nor deny whether Desrosiers had been fired. Messages left for Selectwoman Kellie-Sue Boissonnault and Selectman Matt Fish were not returned.
Town Administrator Paul Branscombe confirmed a re-structuring of the ambulance department is currently underway, and also confirmed that the town has made an offer, which has been accepted, to an individual for an EMS administrative officer position. He declined to comment on Desrosiers other than to say that he has “misstated a few things” about the situation.
Branscombe declined to disclose the name of the person hired for the EMS administrator position, or the salary offered. The person is scheduled to begin their position on March 30.
Branscombe said the town plans to release more information about the restructuring plan in the near future.
Desrosiers said he was not offered the opportunity to apply for the administrator position.
Desrosiers said he is being let go because of “personality conflict” with the board, and said the relationship has been contentious over several issues, including budget overages.
“I’m being removed as chief because the Select Board, one, doesn’t like being told no, and two, being told that their perceived expertise in an area like running an ambulance is outside their knowledge base,” Desrosiers said. “The Select Board, plain and simple, doesn’t like me.”
He said he also recently filed a workman’s compensation claim against the town, relating to a heart surgery he had, alleging working conditions exacerbated his underlying illness. The town denied the claim, but Desrosiers said it may have contributed to the decision to eliminate his position.
Desrosiers said his most recent review from the town called into question his administrative skills, and his ability to continue in his present role.
Prior to his hiring in Wilton two years ago, Desrosiers had 25 years of experience as a medic, and 20 years of experience in operations management and ambulance leadership.
“I don’t agree with their assessment of my administrative abilities or leadership,” Desrosiers said. “I feel I’ve been horrifically mistreated in my tenure as chief.”
Desrosiers defended his time in the position, saying in his two years as chief, he made several improvements to the department, including bringing the department up-to-date with mandatory trainings, improving conditions at the station, improving scheduling to be able to fully staff ambulances, securing better wages for his staff, and improving the medical education and technique of the staff.
The ambulance chief is the only full-time employee of the ambulance department, with all other responders on per-diem and holding down other jobs. Without a full-time paramedic, Desrosiers said scheduling to cover all shifts with a paramedic available is “significantly” impacted.
Desrosiers will be leaving the department during a potential shakeup of its membership, as the town of Temple is contemplating leaving the Wilton Ambulance in favor of receiving services from Peterborough.
Temple officials have stated they have no issue with the running of the ambulance or the care provided and are looking to other options solely over a funding issue, alleging they have not been treated fairly by Wilton administration.
Temple plans to present options for funding either the Wilton ambulance of the Peterborough ambulance during its Town Meeting on March 14, and allow the taxpayers to decide which service to go with moving forward.