NORWICH – The fly car system is a proven success throughout New York state and a good start toward solving the county’s ambulance shortage, an experienced emergency medical official told the City of Norwich Common Council Tuesday.
Dr. Scott Cohen, the medical director of the county Department of Health and a physician on the city’s emergency medical squad, also told the council the fly car would eventually relieve some of the burden placed on Norwich’s EMS crew to handle an influx of calls after Superior Ambulance, a private company, cut back its coverage in the county in January.
“The fly car has been proven throughout the state,” said Cohen, who vouched for the program based on his experience as an EMS provider in the Albany area. “I think it’s a great start, and everyone involved realizes – this is just a start.”
Under the fly car system, county-employed paramedics would drive to emergency calls throughout the 21 townships and staff ambulances from volunteer departments that have been called to the scene.
On paper, the fly car supplements the shortage of advanced life support and critical care paramedics within volunteer departments, but utilizes the equipment and manpower the departments still have.
There are 19 volunteer fire stations in Chenango County. Currently, only eight have working ambulances. However, four others have out-of-service rigs that could be quickly reinstated if the fly car program is implemented by the county Board of Supervisors, says county Fire Coordinator Matt Beckwith.
Alderman Robert Jeffrey asked how the fly car system would relieve the city if its ambulance is always the first one called out in the wake of Superior’s cutback.
“It seems like it’s becoming the norm,” said Jeffrey, who represents the 6th Ward.
“In a perfect world, under the mutual aid agreement, the closest provider to the scene will be called first,” responded Cohen, who admitted that hasn’t been the standard practice lately, using an example of Norwich being the first to a call in South Otselic, which has its own EMS squad.
“It’s almost muscle memory at this point,” said city fire and police Chief Joseph Angelino, referring to the county 911 dispatch center calling Norwich.
“That will change,” Cohen added. “That’s being fixed.”
Superior is pulling out of Chenango altogether on Oct. 25, according to company representatives, meaning Norwich and other squads could see even more action.
The company handles around 2,000 calls a year in a number of outlying townships. That number does not include hospital-to-hospital and mental health transports.
The city EMS has also taken over 1,900 calls in 2007, but is currently only receiving payment for 1,230, according to recent billing figures.
“There’s a discrepancy of nearly 700 calls there,” Jeffrey pointed out.
Angelino said the discrepancy may be equated to the billing cycle having yet to come around. He added that some calls may not earn a payment because in some cases the ambulance gets called out, but then is turned back in route.
“That’s still time and money,” Jeffrey said. “It’s costing us, and we simply can’t afford it.”
Jeffrey said if the city and the areas it covers for fire and ambulance – the Town of Norwich, North Norwich, Guilford and Plymouth – have to pay county taxes for the fly car, he sees that as a double taxation.
“I think there have to be more questions asked and more ideas put together,” he said.
As presented, the fly car would involve the county hiring three paramedics who would work on rotating 12-hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The program would cost roughly $273,000 annually. That does not include $15,000 in start-up costs and $77,000 for two sports utility vehicles.
Cohen and Angelino left the council meeting to attend a meeting of EMS coordinators to discuss the fly car issue. Cohen said he would bring up the council’s questions there.