Medic137

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  2. Posted · Edited by Medic137

    When we knocked down the partitions at the old Abbey Richmond office at 255 Grove St. in W.P. we found a picture of the first class of paramedics to graduate from White Plains hospital. The only name I can remember is Bob Cuomo, currently Director of EMS in Putnam County. I wish I had held on to the picture!

  6. Posted

    Bonnie Meadow and the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County have every right to protest an overtly religious symbol on public property. BUT, they do not have any right to be OFFENDED by it. We have a new group of "The Professionally Offended" who think anything they don't agree with is an attack on them and their herritage. They will next demand an APOLOGY from someone in a position of authority for hurting their FEELINGS.

  10. Posted

    From 1010 WINS

    Local News

    Posted: Tuesday, 28 August 2007 11:24AM

    Putnam Finds Money to Pay for Paramedics

    CARMEL, N.Y. (AP) -- Putnam County Legislators Monday approved the $165,000 needed to keep advanced life support paramedics on the road through the end of the year.

    Empire Ambulance Company said it was losing money and needed the $165,000 to finish out the year. Two weeks ago, Putnam lawmakers voted against the funding. But petitions signed by doctors and nurses at the Putnam Hospital Center and comments from other citizens got the lawmakers to reverse their decision.

    The paramedics offer advanced life support that volunteer emergency medical technicians can't provide.

    1010 WINS

  11. Posted

    Journal News Editorial

    Journal News

    In case of emergency . . .

    (Original Publication: August 20, 2007)

    There are very real problems in Putnam County with ambulance service. Just as troubling: The problem is only one tangible example of what can happen when a lovely - and largely residential - county has a population growth spurt, as Putnam has had over the last five years. Demands for services from longtime residents and newcomers increase exponentially. So do costs.

    Then, the collision: Are residents' willing, or even able, to pay more taxes or do without certain services? The answers should matter to Putnam and non-Putnam residents alike, since our lives very often cross county lines, even where our tax bills do not.

    Ambulance emergency

    The costly county service under scrutiny right now: payment for Empire State Ambulance Corp. services. Supplementing volunteers corps, Empire was contracted to provide two ambulances and two paramedic-staffed "fly cars''; the latter carry medical equipment and personnel to a scene but do not provide transport from it.

    Empire service is provided in the eastern part of the county, where there is a shortage of volunteers during the workweek, staff writer Susan Elan reported. It was hired in September 2006 to reduce response times during business hours. They had risen to as much as 30 minutes; since last year, countywide response times had dropped to less than 11 minutes, according to Robert Cuomo, the county's emergency medical services director.

    Putnam paid Empire $485,000 for the first year of service; the company was to receive $504,000 for the second year. However, as an Empire spokesman explained, the company can't afford to do the job for less than $950,000; it has opted out of the contract effective Oct. 1. The Bondi administration asked the Legislature for an additional $116,250 to keep Empire in Putnam through Dec. 31. By a 7-1 vote Aug. 7, the Legislature turned down the request.

    Alternatives to explore

    Among some lawmakers' suggestions for responding to the problem: seek a new provider, seek arrangements with nearby hospitals, seek a regional solution - that is, getting non-Putnam governments to help out - and ask towns to help pay for the service. Yet the administration says there isn't enough time to complete a formal process to replace Empire State Ambulance Corp. by Oct. 1.

    Oh, and in the backdrop of this tempest: The state issued a scathing audit in July criticized Putnam's purchasing practices, urging the county to use a formal bidding process for professional services, even though it is not required by law. The request for bids that drew Empire, Elan reported, was informal.

    Several legislators, including Terry Intrary, R-Kent, worried that Empire low-balled its bid. "They are holding us hostage,'' Intrary said. "We have to figure out another way to fund this.'' Dan Roberts of Empire denied that this year's request for more money had been premeditated. He said billing patients has not covered expenses. Cuomo, the emergency medical services director, said of the four ambulance companies that are licensed to serve Putnam, only two responded to the county's request, and Empire's bid was lower.

    Some common ground

    Both administration and legislative officials do agree on one thing: Emergency ambulance services and advanced life support to Putnam residents will suffer. Legislator Sam Oliverio, D-Putnam Valley, the lone lawmaker who supported funding Empire through the end of the year, said its departure would "create an abrupt and unexpected gap.'' Clearly, this is an issue that demands county government's immediate attention - and the public's input.

    Bids should be put out immediately to see if the service gap can be filled short-term. All the suggested solutions should be pursued post-haste. The search for volunteers and even temporarily paid emergency medical staff must be considered. If Empire's service does end as expected, the impact on response time and care must be closely followed and documented, with data released to the public by the end of the year. A study group should be formed to assess the price tag if the county itself provided advanced ambulance service. Hearings must be held; perhaps even an independent poll or nonbinding referendum to gauge support for such an expense.

    And then there's the larger picture: County Executive Robert Bondi is preparing the 2008 county budget and has been warning that property taxes could increase by more than 20 percent, due to rising expenses for - you guessed it - county services. The ambulance service question is but one of many soon to put Putnam residents on the spot: What are you willing to pay for? What are you willing to give up?

    A Journal News editorial

  12. Posted

    The best is when your doing hydrant maintenance and put the flowers...roots and all on the front step after you pull them out. Then when they call and complain you can always tell them well since your so adament about the flowers your admitting to growing around the hydrant in front of your house I'll have the codes department come right by with your summons.

    And then delete them from your fund drive mailing list and hope you don't need their vote for the new firehouse.

  14. Posted · Edited by Medic137

    Although it has been a few years since I worked in the HYPOTHETICAL JURISTICTION, I remember the problem being:

    The FULLY STAFFED MEDICAL FACILITY always called the EMERGENCY CONTROL CENTER who insisted on considering every call they received as an emergency. Rather than contacting the FULLY STAFFED PAID SERVICE directly, they sent the closest available ambulance and medic. If the FULLY STAFFED PAID SERVICE was already on a call, the nearest available VOLUNTEER SQUAD and medic were sent.

    I can't say anyone was doing anything wrong, everyone was following the procedures their administrators put in place.

  15. Posted

    Radio system upgrade OK likely By John Davis

    Poughkeepsie Journal

    August 7, 2007

    Dutchess County's police, firefighters and paramedics could be getting a boost soon in their emergency radio reception.

    There is strong support in the county Legislature to borrow $1.5 million to purchase and install the Simulcast Radio System for the county's 911 dispatch center.

    County Executive William Steinhaus recently proposed upgrading the signal transmission from the Department of Emergency Response to police, fire and ambulance agencies throughout the county.

    There are pockets of the county where the 911 radio signal is weak. The new system would eliminate that problem.

    "There's a lot of areas you go to the north and east that aren't covered," said Legislator David Kelly, R-Pawling.

    Kelly and the other 12 Republican county lawmakers appear poised to vote in favor of borrowing the money Monday.

    Most Democrats will likely support the new radio system, said Minority Leader Roger Higgins, D-Poughkeepsie.

    "It seems like it's something we need to do upgrade," Higgins said. "I would be surprised if there was any real opposition from the Democrats."

    Interest hikes loan

    To borrow the $1,513,000 for the system, the county will pay 4.75 percent in interest to pay the loan back in 10 years - a total cost of $1,908,271.

    Because the vote Monday is to borrow money, at least 17 of the 25 lawmakers would need to approve it.

    Legislator Robert Rolison, R-Poughkeepsie, a Town of Poughkeepsie police officer, said the upgrade would allow signals to be broadcast simultaneously from the seven radio towers throughout the county.

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

  18. Posted

    About 10 years back when the county wanted 5 digit identifiers for EMS vehicles we repainted the rigs as 86501, 502, and 503. When the they changed their minds again we went back to 8601 etc. As we are dispatched by Yorktown PD and rarely need to communicate with 60 Control, it's not really an issue. We all know that when we are sent out of town we should identify ourselves using the county's nomenclature.

  20. Posted

    This is the way I remember it:

    When Transcare bought Abbey Richmond the Abbey rigs were not repainted. The two White Plains Ambulances remained 406 (Mobile 1) and 407 (Mobile 2).

    When the merger with Metropolitan occuered two new 1999 vans were sent to White Plains. Nos. 905 and 935. They were painted with the Metrocare colors but said "Abbey Richmond" on the sides. "MetroCare" was writen in small letters on the rear quarter panels.

    I think those were the last ambulances to say "Abbey Richmond". All the remaining Abbey rigs were repainted to say "MetroCare".

  23. Posted

    Oneeye, remember the guy at the Ludlow St. Station? Got hit by a train, thrown into a tree, fell out of the tree onto the third rail. AND LIVED. In those days we had to ask for permission to leave the city to take him to WMC.

  25. Posted

    EMT from Jan. '94 to Jan. '97.

    We didn't have numbers back then.

    Worked a 24 from 1900 Friday to 1900 Saturday in Yonkers. The first 12 was on Medic 16 with Erik "You can walk" Lindholm. Then the day shift on Medic 6 with Malcolm "Stealth Master" Dixon. (Maintain radio silence)

    Sunday 0700 to 1900 with Mike Lamorgese on Medic 2.

    I left for "More money, less Sugrue"

    Miss the most: Satuday nights in Yonkers with Buck, and later, Tommy Sal as Supervisor.