Mount Vernon EMS Contract Going To Transcare?

[x635 4,066]

The Westchester EMS scene is always filled with such drama!

Here's the example of a solution and fix-all for all of Westchester's EMS dilemmas:

http://www.atcems.org/AboutUs/

If you guys had a system like we have here (and the support of the local government), you could literally eliminate almost every problem there is with the EMS service in Westchester- except egos.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

The Westchester EMS scene is always filled with such drama!

Here's the example of a solution and fix-all for all of Westchester's EMS dilemmas:

http://www.atcems.org/AboutUs/

2 questions:

1. By Westchester EMS you mean EMS services in Westchester, not the actual company Westchester EMS

2. By pointing out Austin-Travis EMS, you are advocating or at least supporting a county wide, municipal EMS service.

This is not an attack, just clarification.

Edited November 26, 2009 by bvfdjc316

[x635 4,066]

2 questions:

1. By Westchester EMS you mean EMS services in Westchester, not the actual company Westchester EMS

Yes. EMS in Westchester County, not Westchester EMS-Stellaris Health

2. By pointing out Austin-Travis EMS, you are advocating or at least supporting a county wide, municipal EMS service.

I'm pointing out a good example that Westchester should study at least some aspects of. Including County legislation regarding EMS. Heck, the Taxi and Limosine industry in Westchester is more regulated and supervised!!This would eliminate contract wars and all the other distracting, uneeded nonsense that goes on.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

got it.....thanks for the clarification

[Goose 188]

A county system will never happen in Westchester for two reasons:

1) It will cost too much (in the eyes of the politicians and majority of the populace)

2) The volunteers would go over the deep end if the county even spent a nano-second considering the idea

[RWC130 594]

What is in the "NEW" contact? If any?

[Guest EFFP411]

The Westchester EMS scene is always filled with such drama!

Here's the example of a solution and fix-all for all of Westchester's EMS dilemmas:

http://www.atcems.org/AboutUs/

If you guys had a system like we have here (and the support of the local government), you could literally eliminate almost every problem there is with the EMS service in Westchester- except egos.

Seth, a majority of EMS systems in other states appear to run more efficiently and smoothly then the EMS in NY. The simple fact is that EMS is still the "youngest" of all the emergency services compared to fire and police, and most politicians either don't care where or who their EMS service comes from as long as it's cheap, or are too afraid of upsetting their taxpayers and losing their political position. The same can be said of comissioners of volunteer districts that ignore the facts and the need to re-assess the current services due to the opposition it may cause and just doing what they think is acceptable instead of doing the right thing. Now I'm not pointing at all of them, or any one particular town, because some do the right thing, but others have not quite grasped the notion that something is broken and needs to be fixed.

Now as for Transcare and Mount Vernon, I wish the city luck and hope it works out well for the citizens, and IF adjustments need to be made they will be made appropriately, and not ignored

Edited November 26, 2009 by EFFP411

[Goose 188]

Seth, a majority of EMS systems in other states appear to run more efficiently and smoothly then the EMS in NY. The simple fact is that EMS is still the "youngest" of all the emergency services compared to fire and police, and most politicians either don't care where or who their EMS service comes from as long as it's cheap, or are too afraid of upsetting their taxpayers and losing their political position. The same can be said of comissioners of volunteer districts that ignore the facts and the need to re-assess the current services due to the opposition it may cause and just doing what they think is acceptable instead of doing the right thing. Now I'm not pointing at all of them, or any one particular town, because some do the right thing, but others have not quite grasped the notion that something is broken and needs to be fixed.

Now as for Transcare and Mount Vernon, I wish the city luck and hope it works out well for the citizens, and IF adjustments need to be made they will be made appropriately, and not ignored

It has little to do with being the youngest emergency service - i mean, how could you explain Boston EMS, Wake County EMS and Austin-Travis EMS?

There are a number of issues at New York and while i am no expert some of the things i feel that have set us back a few eons:

1) Under the NYS constitution no municipality is legally obligated to provide EMS - only ensure the existence of police and fire protection (you're from Dutchess, remember the Pawling fiasco?)

2) NY is a home rule state where county's have no jurisdiction over the smaller municipalities (city, town, village, hamlet, etc)

3) Poor education - general ignorance as to what EMS is and what we provide as well as ignorance to the fact that EMS costs money as well as soaking up the "volunteers do it for free" talking points (but we can't get a bus out if you're life depended on it)

4) The volunteers themselves - the lobby is so huge and powerful, i am sure my colleges in suppression can speak to this better than i can - but the second you start advancing the conversation into providing a better service (which is always going to entail paying someone) they go ballistic

5) General lack of a unifying voice that speaks for EMS (right now you've got FDs, third service not for profits and commercials)

Edited November 26, 2009 by Goose

[x635 4,066]

ATCEMS was created by MUNICIPAL ordinance in 1975. 1975.

The County can create legislation that affects all the muncipalties in Westchester.

ATCEMS has figured out how to succesfully incorporate volunteer agencies into their system a long time ago.

[ny10570 745]

In New York the individual municipalities have to agree to follow the county. The county can withhold certain services they provide, but short of leveraging the communities the county has no hand.

[x635 4,066]

Westchester County can and does regulate, and apparently cares more about, the Taxi and Limosine Industry then EMS (I'm not saying these guys don't need to be regulated though).

http://tlc.westchestergov.com/

If the County can do that for Taxis, then why not EMS?

I know we're getting off topic from Mount Vernon, but the never-ending concentration on politics and battle of the egos needs to stop, and the focus on delivery of EMS in a timely manner with quality patient care on a consistent basis needs to start. For-profit corporate companies, corrupt municipal officials, lobby groups all follow their own set of rules. You poeple really need to band together and at least push for some sort of EMS legislation.

[ny10570 745]

In that respect the county does regulate EMS with WREMSCO. As for the actual regulation of provision of prehospital care it falls to the communities and the county has very little say over how that is accomplished. Taxis are not a community based service. They are a commercial enterprise and thus subject to county regulation.

[x635 4,066]

Taxis are not a community based service. They are a commercial enterprise and thus subject to county regulation.

Aren't commercial EMS services a commercial enterprise?

It seems people are more interested and passionate about explaining why EMS CAN'T be improved in Westchester instead of explaining ways it CAN be improved. And there are plenty of ways to do so. I know why EMS in Westchester is never going to be perfect, but back on topic if commercial enterprises are going to be competing for contracts to provide this service, there should be standards they have to meet. Just like cable TV companies have to be awarded a franchise to operate in the areas they do, and comply with contracts (provide a public access channel, etc), muncipalities should be the same way.

Set an example Westchester. Laws CAN be changed.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Westchester County can and does regulate, and apparently cares more about, the Taxi and Limosine Industry then EMS.....If the County can do that for Taxis, then why not EMS?

The county established a local law to regulate taxi's and limos as allowable under county law. Taxi's are not regulated under this in the citys as they have there own TLC's. NYS county law does not give the counties the legal oversight of EMS unless they run EMS (Westchester does not, so everyone would have to agree.

With the change of county executive, it is very unlikely we will see any move toward county EMS, since he promised a reduction in county government.

You poeple really need to band together and at least push for some sort of EMS legislation.

Go back and read how bad those paramedics from the xyz company are.......nobody can do what we do...blah blah blah......not going to happen to many people think no one but there agency can do EMS, I dont see them woring together for anything.

[Bnechis 3,961]

In that respect the county does regulate EMS with WREMSCO.

The WREMSCO is not a county agency it is state funded and governed by the rules of NYS. It is contracted to DES to provide the personnel and space for the "program agency" which has a series of deliverables to the state DOH, but the remsco only answers to NYS. Of the 30 voting board members only 2 work for DES.

[ny10570 745]

Its not about finding excuses. Its about not wasting time wishing and hoping for something that can't happen. The municipalities contract the private companies so it is up the municipality to establish the standards. Compare it to dispatching throughout Westchester. If the county could provide a superior service for less than it may be able to convince communities to join, but the county has absolutely no ability to force anyone to utilize their service.

Yeah, WREMSCO is a state entity, but its the closest thing to county level management as I could think of.

[rickperry99 8]

I see this as a sad day for unionized labor. Potentially losing union jobs to a non union shop is a severe blow to the IAEP and their efforts to unionize TC. Why wasn't the union more active in this on the national level? Who at TC is voting yes for the union now? The long term benefits fort the employees would certainly work out in their favor, but the timing and propaganda really make the union look bad.

With all that's been said, what matters most is the person on the other end of the line calling for help. I hope that the service to them will not suffer.

[WAS967 97]

I read the site that Transcare setup and it has some pretty compelling arguments for their point of view. I tried (in vain) to find an opposing view from IAEP. Even the Local 20 site that served Empress is no longer available (the account apparently is suspended). If I were a voting member of the TC workforce, I'd find it hard to vote FOR a union that doesn't seem to be doing much.

I'd love to hear/read/see the point of view from the IAEP/Union side of things. What has IAEP done for the employees at Empress?

I've seen EMS unions come and go (anyone remember the Teamsters at A-1?) and most don't seem to offer any return for the money spent my the employees in the form of union dues.

[x635 4,066]

Out of curiousity, who dispatches Mount Vernon EMS now? Is it still the PD?

Who is going to dispatch for the Transcare ambulances?

[helicopper 1,050]

Out of curiousity, who dispatches Mount Vernon EMS now? Is it still the PD?

Who is going to dispatch for the Transcare ambulances?

I believe, correct me if I'm wrong please, that Empress dispatches the MV units in the same manner as they do Yonkers units. I guess TransCare will have to have a new set-up for dispatch.

[ems-buff 81]

Out of curiousity, who dispatches Mount Vernon EMS now? Is it still the PD?

Who is going to dispatch for the Transcare ambulances?

A-1 is dispatched by Empress central, same as every other unit. Also Empress does the EMD for the city now, full time from my understanding. PD stays on the line for information reasons.

This truly is a sad day for Empress Ambulance, and unionized EMS companies.