Montgomery County has a new county-wide ambulance service.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office opened a new EMS Division this week after more than two years of research and preparation. Speaking with WAMC on the service’s first day of operation, Sergeant Justin Smith says it serves a vital need.
“There was lack of response times. There was a lack of responses at all, there were calls that were going unanswered. So, through two-and-a-half years, it kind of led to this point where the county purchased an ambulance, and then last year the county legislature approved a small budget for hiring EMS personnel and they started today. And that’s just to fill the gaps that are out there now. And, ironically, today they handled three calls in a row where there were no ambulances at all. So, it actually started off with a bang,” said Smith.
Smith is grateful the county was proactive in handling a problem that communities across the country are dealing with.
“So a lot goes into starting an ambulance from the ground up. You know, there’s paperwork, there’s applications, an application process with the state. And just ordering things and getting—when you’re starting something from the ground up, you’re starting with nothing. EMS, in a whole, is suffering nationwide, it’s not just a Montgomery problem. You know, there’s staffing issues, there’s pay issues. So, anything that we can do as a county to help supplement the problem, that’s what we’re attempting to do,” said Smith.
Smith noted that the new EMS division would not be able to run without the continued support of the current ambulance service providers within the county – St. Johnsville Ambulance and Amsterdam Fire Department.
“When somebody calls 9-1-1 and their loved one or they themselves are having a medical emergency, and they have to wait 30, 45 minutes or longer for no response at all maybe, that’s frightening to the citizens. And that’s to no fault of the other ambulance agencies, they’re doing the best they can, but that’s why this process started two and a half years ago. And that’s how we ended up here today, to provide that stop gap of filling those voids and getting an ambulance to somebody in a time of need. You know, minutes seem like hours when you’re waiting for something. So, 45 minutes seems like days,” explained Smith.
Democratic Amsterdam Mayor Michael Cinquanti says that while his city has its own ambulance service through the fire department, he’s grateful to have more first responders on standby.
“I know what it’s like to have to provide that service to a large area of people, a large group of people. And it’s really a challenge, and we’re looking forward to helping in any way we can and looking for support in any way we can get from what the county is doing. But right now, I think it’s going to be a wonderful thing for the county and we look forward to working with them,” said Cinquanti.
Cinquanti said he’s looking forward to future cooperation between the county and his city.
“It’s a huge responsibility to provide ambulance services to any community. And if we can do it better, if we can manage our costs better with the support from the county, or vice-versa, then I think it’s something that we need to focus on,” explained Cinquanti.
Lake Valley EMS Director of Operations Thomas Pasquarelli says working with the new division will help ensure the well-being of county residents, adding in a statement “we are eager to collaborate as a cohesive team to deliver the highest quality pre-hospital care to the citizens of Montgomery County.”
