Photo: stockbusters / iStock / Getty Images
Greene County lawmakers in New York are advancing plans to establish a countywide ambulance service, aiming to replace existing municipal services. This initiative comes in response to staffing challenges faced by individual towns, which have affected emergency medical service (EMS) response times. The county legislature has been contemplating this plan for two years and is expected to vote on the $15 million consolidation proposal this fall.
According to the Daily Gazette, the plan involves hiring an executive director and support staff to oversee the new system. The county currently spends about $7.5 million on EMS services, and the consolidation aims to streamline operations and enhance service efficiency.
The county's current EMS setup includes Greene County Paramedics, a nonprofit providing advanced life support, while individual towns manage basic life-support transport vehicles. The consolidation plan, supported by a report from Fitch & Associates, suggests that a unified service would address staffing issues and improve response times.
County Administrator Shaun Groden stated that the hiring process for administrative staff will begin by the end of the year, with EMT and paramedic onboarding slated for the second quarter of 2026. The plan also includes decisions on ambulance storage facilities, with potential consolidation of the current eight locations.