Hopefully this is news that won’t matter to you: The Wellesley Select Board at its Dec. 19 meeting approved a transition beginning in January in which the town will use Coastal Medical Transportation Systems instead of longtime partner Catalado Ambulance for emergency medical services.
Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop and Interim Fire Chief David Soar both expressed thanks to Calaldo for years of service to the town, but said Wellesley is making the change for operational reasons. Somerville-based Cataldo, said Jop, has “somewhat relocated their main hub of its operations,” and that Coastal will better be able to serve the town. Jop described a mutually agreed upon decision to terminate the partnership with Cataldo, which shows a service map on its website that mainly includes communities north of Boston—Wellesley kind of sticks out by itself. Wellesley first contracted with Cataldo to provide ambulance services in December 2016.
“This is an opportunity to enhance service given the growing location of Coastal within the immediate area—they service Newton as well as Brookline, and have garage space in Needham,” Jop said. Soar added its possible Coastal will add a presence closer to the Newton/Wellesley line.
Jop said the town is transitioning its EMS staff with Cataldo to Coastal, and that there is no cost difference to the town in making the EMS change. Income for the EMS companies comes through the insurance end of things, she said.
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