Council votes to enable six new EMS paramedics

Select Board · Meeting of October 5, 2026

Agawam City Council voted 11-0 to accept two state statutes clearing the way for six new single-role paramedics. Fire Chief Alan Soroy told the council mutual-aid ambulance calls rose 13.6 percent annually since 2012, hitting 361 last year, while Agawam's own ambulances meet the eight-minute national response benchmark 70 percent of the time versus just 15 percent for mutual aid. The council approved Group 4 retirement classification under MGL Chapter 32 and injury-on-duty benefits under Chapter 41, Section 111M, for the new paramedics, funded through recaptured billing revenue and reduced overtime rather than new taxes.

"That resident that needs services waits longer, and we lose the revenue to that mutual aid ambulance," Soroy said. Councilor Sofridi called the approach a way to give Agawam "a bigger tool chest" without relying on neighboring towns. A separate resolution appropriated $43,797.85 from the Golf Stabilization Fund for course equipment.

In the full story:

• Citizen Speak Time
• EMS Impact Shift Presentation
• Committee Reports and Routine Resolutions
• New Business: Filed Resolutions
• Councilor Reports
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,150 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of October 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.