Hyde Park to use private EMTs

[JetPhoto 626]

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Hyde Park to use private EMTs

By John Davis

Poughkeepsie Journal

HYDE PARK - Private ambulance service will replace the volunteer rescue squad that previously transported town center residents to the hospital.

A decline in volunteers has led trustees of the Hyde Park Fire Department to cease operating its rescue squad - effective Sept. 1.

"I hate to see it happen, but we had no choice," Trustee Harold McKinney said.

North Dutchess Paramedics, a paid ambulance service, will replace the rescue squad.

The cost of the volunteer squad was paid through fire taxes. With Northern Dutchess taking over, the difference for district residents is their health insurance provider will be billed for the $400 to $500 ambulance ride to the hospital.

Most will pay some co-payment required by their insurance company.

The company has been providing backup service for a number of years, said Edward Murray, president of Northern Dutchess Paramedics based in Rhinebeck.

The company has an ambulance bay in town on Crum Elbow Road.

Cost based on ability to pay

Residents without health insurance will still be provided emergency ambulance service. Their cost will be based on their ability to pay - a reflection of the company's philanthropic mission.

"People who don't have the ability to pay don't have to," Murray said.

For the last several years, the number of qualified volunteers in the Hyde Park fire district has dwindled on the rescue squad.

"With work schedules and family commitments" the seven emergency medical technicians have been unable to adequately respond to all the district's medical emergencies, Hyde Park Fire Chief John Beyer said.

The Staatsburg Fire District made the same decision six months ago to drop its rescue squad service and go strictly with North Dutchess Paramedics.

"It's a tough situation," Staatsburg Fire Chief Rick Morrison said.

Staatsburg volunteer EMTs still respond to medical emergencies to assist at the scene.

"If we can get there first. we can help render service," Morrison said.

Supervisor Pompey Delafield said the town should explore formation of a townwide ambulance district as a way to cut costs for residents.

"We need to look at the total picture," Delafield said.

Reach John Davis at jpdavis@poughkeepsiejournal.com or 845-437-4807.

[jps385 0]

Why is it that some departments are willing to put quality service above egos? Dutchess seems very progressive in this area and while it is sad to see so many Volunteer Squads stop providing EMS it is good to know that leaders are willing to take on this issue an ensure that patients come first. Its a shame that other areas further south haven't figured this out and are still holding on inspite of rampant use of mutual-aid and 30+ minute responses.

[ny10570 745]

Here's to hoping Supervisor Delafield success with a municipal EMS system. Maybe Dutchess can show everyone how its done.

[Goose 188]

It's hit or miss in Dutchess (like every place). You have progressive town board members and volunteer leadership (all the career depts run EMS calls to the best of my knowledge, only have had the pleasure to work with the PFD and they are always very helpful and give great patient care prior to EMS arrival) like what we see here, or you have volunteer squads getting their ambulances out and then turfing BLS calls to the privates or trying to secure RMAs because they don't want to transport. Either way you cut it, Dutchess happens to be far more progressive than most areas in our region (look as far as the 911 Center). It can be refreshing and extremely frustrating.

Edited August 1, 2007 by Goose

[firebuff08 29]

It is quite refreshing to read that there are Volunteer providers who know when it is time to get out of the EMS business. As the former President of a Volunteer Ambulance Corps in Westchester, my hat is off to the Fire Trustees in Hyde Park for recognizing that a lack of volunteers is a proper reason to stop trying to provide the service.

The problem with EMS in Westchester has a lot to do with far too many ambulance providers. Somehow, the public seems to have a false sense of security that they are better served by an un-manned volunteer squad just down the street in their mile square village than by an ambulance staffed by paid professionals responding from a nearby community. They don't seem to get the fact that the paid ambulance from one or two towns over can respond, treat and transport them to the hospital while the local volunteer squad is still toning out trying to get a crew. And this is not a new problem. Long response times, repeated toning for a crew and repeated toning by the mutual aid department for a crew, was common when I was involved in EMS in Westchester more than 20 years ago. Nothing has changed.

The town where I work here in CT as a 911/police dispatcher recognized the problem several years ago and hired a commercial service to provide ambulance service during the day (6:00 am to 6:00 p- Mon-Fri). The Fire district paid to have the commercial service station rigs in the firehouse during those hours. Two years ago, the district hired 6 fulltime EMT/firefighters who now provide EMS during the day and staff the first fire apparatus out when there is the occasional fire call. The town still uses the Commercial Service as a back-up, especially nights and weekends. No reponse to the tones.... call goes to the commercial service which is located in the next town over. The commercial service also uses our local EMS as its back up. Seems to work quite well. Again, the Fire Commissioners took steps when they recognized the volunteers couldn't handle the calls, especially during the daytime.