Rep. Tom Reed is connecting the recent death in Salamanca to the state’s failure to deliver funding to the city.

In a press release, Reed shared the story from Fire Chief Nick Bocharski. The chief said last week there was only one firefighter available to respond to a person suffering from cardiac arrest.

He said the emergency responder performed what life-saving measures he could by himself but without enough staff to immediately transport, the “person passed away, even after being revived, due to a 29-minute delay.”

“Governor, this falls directly in your lap,” Bocharski was quoted in Reed’s release.

The congressman noted the city had been planning on hiring two more firefighter but was unable to because of a budget shortfall. The state typically shares casino revenue from the Seneca Nation with the three cities where the Seneca Casino’s operate: Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca.

However, the Nation stopped making those payments since 2017 and the funding to the cities subsequently stopped.

“It is clear the Governor has taken this political spat with the Seneca Nation too far,” Reed said. “It is time for the Governor to end this dispute. Deliver the funds before someone else dies and resolve the unrelated Seneca dispute in the appropriate forum. We are happy to mediate if needed.”

A arbitration panel did rule the Senecas still owe the state for the payments but the Senecas have continued to refuse as they pursue legal options. This summer the state did front Niagara Falls $5 million to help cover its shortfall.

Reed said the Salamanca mayor has said the state owes the city $15 million. However, the governor’s office said the it last spoke with Salamanca leaders in April and nobody has asked for any assistance.

“Once again the Seneca’s favorite lackey has shown he will say anything and do anything to give cover to his friends and deflect from the fact that they reneged on their obligations under the compact and under the agreed upon arbitration. The only good news is that the more time Reed commits to these craven stunts, the less time he has to attempt to shred our Medicaid system – just like he tried to do with his partner in crime, indicted Wall Street fraudster Chris Collins,” Governor Cuomo’s Senior Advisor Rich Azzopardi said.

Reed’s office and the governor’s office have publicly feuded for about a month now over the condition of a portion of the Thruway running through Seneca Territory.