Mike Nadeau doesn't like people referring to it as a takeover.
Whatever you call it, Sault Ste. Marie ambulance workers will be working next year for District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board (DSSMSSAB), not the City of Sault Ste. Marie.
DSSMSSAB directors voted last night to advise the city it won't be renewing a contract under which the city provided emergency medical services (EMS), ending a 17-year-old arrangement.
The existing contract expires Dec. 31.
Effective Jan. 1, DSSMSSAB will be directly and solely responsible for EMS operational oversight, day-to-day operations, resource deployment and financial reporting.
Nadeau is DSSMSSAB's chief administrative officer.
"This is not a takeover or an upload of the EMS," he told his board last night.
"The dominant change is the person signing their paycheque. Versus being a city employee, will be a DSSMSSAB employee."
"Their seniority dates will remain whole. Their pay will remain whole, their collective agreement, their benefits."
Nadeau is setting up 'town hall' meetings, probably next week, to explain the changeover to affected employees.
"There will be changes in some policies because it's a different organization, but there will be fundamentally no core change in the operation," he said.
Operations will continue from the current Sault Ste. Marie ambulance base under the existing lease.
The Garden River ambulance lease is between the city and Garden River First Nation.
It expires in September and Nadeau has met with the chief to begin negotiations.
Nadeau said last night that the city has operated the EMS service well, but bringing it back under direct DSSMSSAB control was considered necesssary for governance and accountability reasons.
Nadeau acknowledged speculation about Ontario government plans to amalgamate EMS services across the province.
He is recommending that DSSMSSAB use a lean management model until the province's intentions are known.
Nadeau hopes to save some money next year by temporarily operating EMS with just two senior managers - an EMS chief and a deputy.
As a result, he hopes to come in under budget in 2020.
"In 2021 and beyond, it would depend on what the province is doing."