LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Not only was Wednesday nights Lockport Common Council meeting heated at times, but it was a jam-packed council chamber.
Twin City Ambulance said in a letter to Lockport officials that it will not be able to provide service full time to the City of Lockport, with an agreement set to expire on Jan. 31.
For months, volunteer fire companies in Niagara County have been stepping up to provide EMS service to the city of Lockport to supplement Twin City Ambulance.
As the meeting, started dozens of Niagara County volunteer firefighters entered the Lockport Common Council chambers to plead with city lawmakers to figure out its ambulance issues.
"As firefighters we took an oath that we would serve our communities, our neighbors - we can't say no," said one volunteer firefighter at the podium.
Alderman Luke Kantor tried to cool down the rhetoric that the Republican majority council is not playing politics with public safety.
"This is being turned into a political issue and it's not a political issue," Kantor said. "We're just trying to figure out how we're going to do this."
It didn't take long, however, for the heated exchanges between the Democrats and Republicans who represent city residents.
"These men wouldn't be here if we didn't have a temporary contract," yelled Alderman Kathryn "Kitty" Fogle.
"There was no temporary contract to make!" exclaimed Mayor Michelle Roman.
"These men wouldn't be here if we let our fireman do rescue, this is our fault," shouted council President Paul Beakman. "And it's our responsibility to fix it."
"It's our responsibility to all go to the table and do this together not fear monger like you're doing Paul," Fogle replied.
"This isn't fear mongering this is life and death," Beakman clapped back.
Throughout the back and forth, dozens of volunteer firefighters applauded to statements made by Beakman and Mayor Roman.
The council didn't address the main issue of approving proposal for the fire department to resume ambulance service. In fact, there is no resolution for that yet for the council to even vote on.
Instead, the council did approve a resolution for the city to reimburse volunteer departments with gas money and mileage if they respond to a call in the city.
While that's a decent gesture, as one volunteer told 2 On Your Side, the problems facing the volunteer departments are very real.
"We can't get volunteers to manage ambulances," said Gary Hunt, co-chair of the Frontier Fire Company. "If you guys don't want to help yourselves, we can't help you."
Residents of the city also voiced frustration with the council on this issue too.
"This has gone on and on and on and on," one resident said. "This has got to be resolved."
A third party audit of the proposal has the mayor and members of the council with differing opinions on what to do.
"We should and can do this at a fiscally responsible way and provide vital services to our residents," Mayor Roman said.
Alderman Kristin Barnard says the council needs to come together and look at the report.
"I don't think we've had an opportunity yet to sit down and discuss the analysis as a group," Barnard said.
Mayor Roman said a work session on this issue will take place on Monday, December 19 at 6pm in council chambers.
Back in 2014, the City of Lockport dissolved its ambulance unit and also laid off 12 firefighters. At the time the common counsel did so for financial reasons.
On Jan. 31, that temporary solution will come to an end. Twin City, in a letter to Lockport officials, said it will not be able to provide service full time. On top of that, Twin City can only continue to be supplemental service if the fire department resumes ambulance service. The idea being they are willing to help out a public entity with service, but not willing to help out another for-profit company if the city decides to hire one.