CHENANGO COUNTY – Local fire officials confirmed Tuesday that a private company has agreed to replace one of the three ambulances the county will have lost when Superior Inc. closes its Norwich office for good Thursday.

Cooperstown Medical Transport (CMT), which operates in Delaware and Otsego counties, plans to bring in one ambulance to specifically handle hospital-to-hospital and medical transports, said county fire and emergency coordinator Matt Beckwith.

The announcement doesn’t relieve the county’s current ambulance crisis, Beckwith added, but will keep it from getting worse while a long-term plan is developed.

“It’s absolutely good news,” he said. “We’re hanging on by a shoestring. But every little bit helps.”

CMT still has to be issued a “Certificate of Need” from the state Department of Health before it can begin servicing Chenango County. Beckwith said the company has applied for the certificate, but is unsure when the process will be completed.