Officials debate ‘Plan B’ for county-run EMS plan
Chenango County Emergency Management Director Matt Beckwith discusses the county's EMS plan during a Board of Supervisors meeting held in May. Citing a need for changes to provide local EMS services, the board adopted a decentralized EMS plan in April, followed by the establishment of an ambulance service in May. The county’s proposal calls for the hiring of nearly 20 EMS employees over the next few years, including an administrator and multiple basic and advanced life support technicians. (Photo by Tyler Murphy)
NORWICH - Nearly four months after the Chenango County Board of Supervisors adopted a plan to expand EMS services in the area, some administrators are pushing for a fallback plan in case things fall apart.
The plan, which has been nearly two and a half years in the making, was discussed at length at a recent meeting of the county’s Safety and Rules Committee, where Smyrna Supervisor Michael Khoury addressed committee members about the need for a “Plan B” in case the county’s adopted EMS proposal simply doesn’t work out.
“When we first voted on the EMS plan, the idea was that it’s a work in progress,” said Kouhry, adding his beliefs that some firefighter districts in the county have felt left out of the discussion. “This thing was going to be worked through. There were a lot of details and a lot of moving parts. And the exchange of ideas is important as we go along.”
Kouhry explained there are costs which “weren’t completely spelled out in the plan.” And while he agreed that lackluster EMS services in Chenango County need attention, he argued the county needs back-up ideas to modify it if necessary. For that, it’s best to get more input from all 12 agencies in the county that are already providing EMS transport, he said.
“This is a long process. There’s a lot of complications to this. At least hear what they have to say because they have the expertise and talent.”
The County Board adopted a decentralized EMS plan in April, followed by the establishment of an ambulance service in May. The county’s proposal calls for the hiring of nearly 20 EMS employees over the next few years, including an administrator and multiple basic and advanced life support technicians. It aims to lease equipment from existing fire and EMS departments from across the county’s 21 townships, eight villages, and one city. The plan also calls for at least two “fly cars” which can assist ambulances on call.
The objective, explained County Emergency Management Director Matt Beckwith, is to offer support for existing EMS services, not replace them. Beckwith has held ongoing discussions with local department leaders for more than two years. They found that there are some areas of the county - primarily Bainbridge, Coventry, Guilford, and South Otselic - that struggle to provide limited EMS service.
The biggest problem, Beckwith noted, isn’t a lack of ambulances. It’s a lack of technicians.
“That is a problem with a lot of the [EMS] agencies,” said Beckwith. “The agencies that are surviving, they can pretty much muster up one ambulance to go to a call. They can’t do two. If they get two simultaneous calls, they don’t have the manpower to do it. Those are the kinds of things we look for to help and work with local municipalities.”
The county believes it can support its plan through 2030 by using a combination of revenues from rendered EMS services, federal COVID-19 municipal relief funds, and a yet-to-be imposed local tax on motor vehicle registrations (a proposal that will get a public hearing on Monday). All told, county officials believe it’s a viable plan as long as costs stay under $1 million per year.
A phased approach to incorporate the county EMS plan has already begun with the hiring of EMS personnel. Nonetheless, officials say it may take years before the plan is in full swing and, despite more than two and a half years of talks with local departments, some argue there’s still time to consider other options.
“I think we need a plan B,” said Lincklaen Supervisor Wayne Outwater, who voted in favor of the plan earlier this year. “This plan is good and I appreciate all the work that’s been done. But I think there’s some holes in it … I think we need to go to every one of these other ambulance services and ask what we can do, how much it’s going to cost, and what they need.”
“The creation of this entity is going to take a year or two. So why can’t you still have a conversation with the agencies. Don’t marginalize them,” said Khoury. “For us to say ‘we’ve already talked to them, we’re done,’ then that, to me, is a little short sighted.”
The plan, which has been nearly two and a half years in the making, was discussed at length at a recent meeting of the county’s Safety and Rules Committee, where Smyrna Supervisor Michael Khoury addressed committee members about the need for a “Plan B” in case the county’s adopted EMS proposal simply doesn’t work out.
“When we first voted on the EMS plan, the idea was that it’s a work in progress,” said Kouhry, adding his beliefs that some firefighter districts in the county have felt left out of the discussion. “This thing was going to be worked through. There were a lot of details and a lot of moving parts. And the exchange of ideas is important as we go along.”
Kouhry explained there are costs which “weren’t completely spelled out in the plan.” And while he agreed that lackluster EMS services in Chenango County need attention, he argued the county needs back-up ideas to modify it if necessary. For that, it’s best to get more input from all 12 agencies in the county that are already providing EMS transport, he said.
“This is a long process. There’s a lot of complications to this. At least hear what they have to say because they have the expertise and talent.”
The County Board adopted a decentralized EMS plan in April, followed by the establishment of an ambulance service in May. The county’s proposal calls for the hiring of nearly 20 EMS employees over the next few years, including an administrator and multiple basic and advanced life support technicians. It aims to lease equipment from existing fire and EMS departments from across the county’s 21 townships, eight villages, and one city. The plan also calls for at least two “fly cars” which can assist ambulances on call.
The objective, explained County Emergency Management Director Matt Beckwith, is to offer support for existing EMS services, not replace them. Beckwith has held ongoing discussions with local department leaders for more than two years. They found that there are some areas of the county - primarily Bainbridge, Coventry, Guilford, and South Otselic - that struggle to provide limited EMS service.
The biggest problem, Beckwith noted, isn’t a lack of ambulances. It’s a lack of technicians.
“That is a problem with a lot of the [EMS] agencies,” said Beckwith. “The agencies that are surviving, they can pretty much muster up one ambulance to go to a call. They can’t do two. If they get two simultaneous calls, they don’t have the manpower to do it. Those are the kinds of things we look for to help and work with local municipalities.”
The county believes it can support its plan through 2030 by using a combination of revenues from rendered EMS services, federal COVID-19 municipal relief funds, and a yet-to-be imposed local tax on motor vehicle registrations (a proposal that will get a public hearing on Monday). All told, county officials believe it’s a viable plan as long as costs stay under $1 million per year.
A phased approach to incorporate the county EMS plan has already begun with the hiring of EMS personnel. Nonetheless, officials say it may take years before the plan is in full swing and, despite more than two and a half years of talks with local departments, some argue there’s still time to consider other options.
“I think we need a plan B,” said Lincklaen Supervisor Wayne Outwater, who voted in favor of the plan earlier this year. “This plan is good and I appreciate all the work that’s been done. But I think there’s some holes in it … I think we need to go to every one of these other ambulance services and ask what we can do, how much it’s going to cost, and what they need.”
“The creation of this entity is going to take a year or two. So why can’t you still have a conversation with the agencies. Don’t marginalize them,” said Khoury. “For us to say ‘we’ve already talked to them, we’re done,’ then that, to me, is a little short sighted.”
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