jps385

Looks like my post was lost in the oopsey.

The ACS website lists Hackensack as a Level II Trauma center.

http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html

http://www.state.nj.us/health/ems/trama_centers.shtml

See the NJ DOH website above. Neither Morristown or hackensack are lvl 1 (neither is Jersey City which came as a surprise). Just a note when looking up trauma centers, most are not designated by FACs but by individual states (you'll notice according to FACs there are none in NY) so to get an accurate list you need to look at the state websites.

Probably shouldn't discuss your HOOK......EVER!

Just about everyone who get hired a voluntary has a "hook", most just won't admit it. Just remember that how you got hired is less important than what you do on the job.

Has anyone seen this page. Lots of old picture and memories. The good old days at Empress are a popluar topic now adays. Face Book Group "I worked at Empress when it didn't suck"

99 Bovine!!

Empire just notified their staff officially that transcare has the contract.

If Transcare won wouldn't that pose a conflict of interest for Putnam's EMS coordinator?

No more than when the county executive was affiliated with sloper, but hey its Putnam! Actually I believe that Bob recused himself from the selection process. Not sure how he'll handle it going forward.

celticmedic, you couldn't have said it better you are 100% right the Sloper days were the days in alot of ways you could argue that it was run the best and was superior ... The medics were top notch I too was privileged to have worked in Putnam and Dutchess during those times . Times have changed over the years and many have moved on like you say. Whatever happens in the next week or 2 it is what it is. As you know in this business you never know.. and never say never.. As far as people saying they wont work for this Company or that company again in this industry don't burn your bridges cause you never know when you need to cross them.... and Rumors are again part of this game its inevitable BTW "did you Hear Columbia Pres. Amb out of NYC got the last minute bid in they have CO for this region"... see how easy it is ...lol

Be safe out there

Actually I hear they've narrowed it down to A-1, Abbey or affiliated!

Quote from RWC130 on 8/1/08 @ 03:02

"Correct me if I am wrong? I don't think Patient Care

has ever been compromised during the up's and down's"

Have you been on any calls in Putnam County? How about a 35 y/o male cardiac arrest that the "paramedic" didn't want/or feel intubation was indicated? And do you want to know what happened to that particular medic? They made him a SUPERVISOR! So I have absolute faith in this company!

As far as I know we have no supervisors who have been promoted recently who worked in the field, that having been said if you feel patient care was grossly compromised (as your sttaement makes it sound) as a profesional you would have an ethical obligation to report this to some authority (either region or state).

In another thread, I read about Empire being rebranded as "Hudson Valley Paramedics"

I'm confused on many levels, and wanted to start a fresh thread to figure things out.

First, is Hudson Valley Paramedics a spinoff of Empire, Empire's new name, or a completly new venture?

Empire's history has been turbulent.......is there another new management team?

Empire will cease to exist and be replaced by Hudson Valley Paramedics, Over the last few months a completely new managment team has come in with new philosophies and ways of doing things so to an extent it really is a new company and hence the name change.

It sounds like a breach of the 2004 union contract / medical benefits package. Just because the insurer is slow to pay claims, they can't unilaterally decline to provide coverage while under the terms of the contract.

The two have nothing to do with one another, the union contract calls for insurance X to be provided, the hospitals contracting with a given insurance company is completely separate. Anyone with Blue cross can attest to the fact that hospitals drop their contracts with providers (or at least threaten to) all the time. It an annual event that I get a letter saying that stellaris won't accept BC after 4/30, then they reach an agreement.

I think what he was referring to was the fact that there is no place in the bedford area more than 25 minutes from wcmc. By the time you package, drive to the LZ, tranfer to the flight crew (who futzs around for 15 minutes) then fly them out you could have been at the medical center twice without the risks and costs associated with the bird.

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../803100359/1020

Link to the Journal News Article, more talk of the putnam medic contract.

15V is gone over the next few months. The city is no longer rubber stamping the voluntary contracts when they are up for renewal. FDNY wanted a ALS bus out of the new BX north battalion so 15V is cut. As far as I know the BLS units are not affected.

empire is in the county until 9/2008. They supposed to release a formal RFP in the spring for a new contract.

"Until I see there's been a drastic safety issue involving a house burned to the ground or people were killed - I haven't heard any stories like that, and therefore, I feel the system is working," he said

Wow, what a profound statement. No ones died yet so why worry. Great mentality for an elected offical.

Putnam chose the "35" series for their medics as that was the next number (put valley being 34) in the sequence. Unfortunately Cortlandt also has the 35m designation which occasional leads to some confusion on the radio.

How does this sound? Putnam puts in the same amount they have, give or take a little either way. Then each Town kicks in an amount based on their call volume, to make up the difference. Let PCBES be the Administrator of the system. This way, the Towns aren't stuck with the whole cost, but just their share. The only other thing they need to do is take the damn football out of the politics and put it back on the playing field.

I agree that PCBES should administer the program (can't believe I actually said that), but what difference does it make if its the town or the county paying for it? The money will come out of the same tax bill (mine) it will just be under a different heading. This has much less to do about cost and more to do with the fact that the legislature and Bondi couldn't agree on the color of the sky, and this was just an oportunity to to stick it to him. I hope everyonember. in Putnam remembers this when they vote for legislators in November.

I found out something very interesting the other day. I hear more and more East Fishkill getting called to go mutual aid for medical calls in Putnam. I think they figured out that we have a BLS ambulance that is rostered 24/7. I personally went 3 times already in the past 2 weeks. the last time, we went to Patterson for a psychiatric patient. And not to mention, empire mosied in about 5 minutes after us, and didnt seem to want to stick around. And i spoke to one of the guys from Put Lake at putnam hospital, and he had a crew for the ambulance but they were never called. It appears Putnam 911 has been skipping agencies in the list to call for us, because they are almost 100% guaranteed a response from 39-71. If anybody can clarify this a little more, please let me know. I dont mind, i realize that its tough to get an ambulance out during the day in some places, but i just dont want it to get abused. we have a big town to serve ourselves, and i dont think that our pesky taxpayers are going to be happy with "thier" ambulance going all over the place

Any ideas or clarification will be appreciated by myself and the Rescue Chief, as i am not all that familiar with how Put 911 works. Thanks!

I believe they have a hat with the names of agencies in it. When it comes time for mutual aid they pick 2. Being that any call in an unnamed town which borders Pawilng is most likely to go mutual aid you'd think they would call Pawling (with a staffed ambulance) at least as a top 4 choice. Sometimes they are never called and the towns just keep on coming. Or the poplar comapany 1 can't get out, their call is covered by company B. Then 10 minutes later a call comes out for comapny B (or a second call for company and off go the tones for the comapny A which couldn't cover a call 10 minuts ago.

Just as a note I belive it was said that something like 20% of call were taking 20 minuts + to get an ambulance out for prior to the new BLS plan. Just remember that was when medics would ride as EMTs if necesary. If the medics and the BLS backup go we could see response times of 20 minute + to 505 or more of calls. Then maybe we should start toning out the whole county for every call and hope we get someone.

I guess just setting up an aerial stream or a TL was not an option here. Dumb move.

Actually it looks like a snorkel was operating on the otherside so they had atleast 1 arial. But atleast they had their SCBA's on!

A little off the topic, but how did Empire submit their bid so far off from what it actually costs?

Was this an honest mistake, or were they playing games submitting a low-ball bid and now have been caught with their pants down?

And, how was the contract written between Empire and the County that allowed them to pull-out? Did the County have any penalty clauses added in to prevent this from happening?

The contract was written as 1 year with option to renew. There is a 90 day termination clause which allow either party to terminate the contract with 90 days notice. This is standard just about every contract out there. As far as low balling the bid, thye were only about 50K less than Alamo. At the time everyone was low balling contracts (look around Dutchess-Transcare, Mobile Life, Alamo, and NDP) to get business from one another. These comapnies finally woke up (look at what happened to Pawling) and are no longer able or willing to lose money like this. At the same time if you look at the RFP that Putnam put out it appears that there are alot more call than there really are.

JPS, your announcement is not wholly accurate. The volunteer agencies still exist; there simply is no more paid backup element on the eastern half of the county. Now, whether or not the volunteer agencies step up to the challenge or can even meet this challenge is a different story. My biggest concerns are as follows:

1 - Now, "driver alone" isn't going to make the cut, will the volunteer agencies be able to handle the call volume?

2 - More and more EMTs are Paramedic dependent and they do exist in Putnam like everywhere else, how will this effect patient care?

3 - On the western side of the County, in particular, hospital transports are particularly lengthy. For those 30 or so percent of calls that go ALS, certain patients can be directly influenced with ALS intervention. I'm concerned that patient outcome is going to take a nose dive.

It's a shameful and unfortunate outcome, for sure. At the County level, things are surely becoming more and more of a joke. However, i think that certain towns or even agencies will step up to the challenge and contract out their own ALS resources. How long that can be sustained on that level, I am not sure. Only time will tell.

Your are correct, I was reffering to the daytime BLS coverage which is utilized 3-10 times per day on the East side of the county. If the stands some of the towns will arrive at their own soultions, however those are probably the towns that haven't ignored the BLS problem for years. (But at least we have a golf course and horse farm!)

At last nights legislature meeting the county decided it could not afford the increased cost of ALS and voted to no longer fund the service. If nothing changes this means that as of 10/1 there will be no medics or daytime BLS ambulances available for the county. Political games may potentially cost the county a vital service.

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.

3.7 Million for an ambulance station with 3 bays!!. Put Valley's new building was little over a Million with 3 bays (oversized, you could probably reconfigure for 6), offices for line and admin officers, gym, two ready/rec rooms, full kitchen, full hall and some miscelaneous spaces. What is New Milford getting? Mahopacs new firehouse is huge (8 bays some double) and was only around 8 Million.

That and the statement that a paid ambulance service would be more than a new building? 3.7 mil will fund paid staff for quite awhile. This is not meant to disparage NM VAC, don't know much about them, just the numbers and statments in the article are a little suprising.

I agree with the need for training but I will point out at least these guys respond. How many departments around here invest in EMT training and still can't role a truck. If I read the article right it sounds like thay have never been offered the training. My question is if once an orgaization is certified the state will pick up the tab for CFR and EMT training, it sounds like a Catch 22 where they can't recieve the training until your certified, but you can't get certified without the training. While for most departments aroud here spending 10-15 grand to put people through a course may not seem like much to many departments its a huge investment.

Those numbers seem a bit high but the fact is putnam is just experiencing what pawling did a few months ago. EMS costs Money!! Maybe if the days of low ball bids from the privates are at an end we'll start to see a few more municipal services come into existence. This would be better for both the employees as well as the public as we may start to see the experience level increase if people stay medics for more than a few years.