Westchester VAC's With Paid EMT Coverage?

[x635 4,066]

I seem to have forgotten what VAC's have paid daytime coverage, hours, and if applicable, what is their employing agency?

Thanks!

[ENG47INE 17]

Dobbs Ferry VAC does 6am-6pm and then any nights not covered by volunteers which is a 9pm-6am shift and there independently hired

[x129K 1,393]

VAC - Paid personell??? That makes no sense....

[PFDRes47cue 653]

VAC - Paid personell??? That makes no sense....

Amen brother.

[StOpGoBlUE 11]

Empress... hawthorne ems 2 emts 6am-6pm then 1 emt 6pm-6am, peekskill ems 1 emt 6am-6pm 7 days a week, Mohegan ems monday,thursa fri sat sunday 6am-6pm................

[Goose 188]

VAC - Paid personell??? That makes no sense....

You're going to see a whole lot more when the REMAC & REMSCO mandate that a bus roll within 3 minute of dispatch takes effect ( see policy statement 11-02 on the remsco website).

[x129K 1,393]

You're going to see a whole lot more when the REMAC & REMSCO mandate that a bus roll within 3 minute of dispatch takes effect ( see policy statement 11-02 on the remsco website).

I'm all for that - I just dont understand the use of the acronym VAC, when there are poeple getting paid to operate the units.........is this common?

[peterose313 345]

I'm all for that - I just dont understand the use of the acronym VAC, when there are poeple getting paid to operate the units.........is this common?

You could apply that same thought to VFD's when there are people getting paid to drive the rigs.

[x129K 1,393]

You could apply that same thought to VFD's when there are people getting paid to drive the rigs.

Those are typically called "combo" departments, with the exception of those low down, dirty, cheaters who employee "janitors"....but that is a whol enother thread!

[Goose 188]

I'm all for that - I just dont understand the use of the acronym VAC, when there are poeple getting paid to operate the units.........is this common?

It's becoming more common, and eventually it will be the norm. As EMS runs go up and volunteerism / volunteer manpower pools decrease something is going to have to give, especially with this new future mandate...the agencies are going to be obligated to figure out a solution. Sometimes the volunteers get out...other times you're stuck waiting over an hour. It's nothing personal, there are a lot of really nice people that come out and volunteer their time on the bus and i enjoy working alongside them. The problem is that there needs to be consistency and fairness - the buses need to be able to get out the door quickly and without constantly relying on the same (often older retired) members.

A county system is never going to happen - Astorino would never let that fly. That said, i think the next few years are going to be perfect for the formation of regional (encompassing a number of municipalities across medium/large land areas) solutions - which volunteers can be a part of. There needs to be guarantees that ALS units and BLS units will arrive at medical emergencies in a timely fashion. It's the only viable solution as i see it. My only concern is that the private agencies would come in and zero/under bid service....then you degrade into the ambulance turf wars and contract turnover of duchess county that occurred a number of years ago (may still be going on, i haven't been up there in a while) when i worked in the area.

Edited November 30, 2011 by Goose

[INIT915 1,119]

You're going to see a whole lot more when the REMAC & REMSCO mandate that a bus roll within 3 minute of dispatch takes effect ( see policy statement 11-02 on the remsco website).

Link? I only see 11-01.

[Remember585 815]

Croton EMS has a paid EMT from Ossining EMS currently from 0700-1900, every day. Starting on 1/1/12 (I think) it will be 24/7.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

You're going to see a whole lot more when the REMAC & REMSCO mandate that a bus roll within 3 minute of dispatch takes effect ( see policy statement 11-02 on the remsco website).

Will this be enforced? I think it is good but will definitely pose issues for some VAC's and "VAC's". Will something similar be implemented in the fire service...I see this posing the same issues.

[JM15 386]

Somers FD contracts to WEMS for the first due ambulance 24/7

[Goose 188]

Link? I only see 11-01.

http://www.wremsco.org/WREMSCO_POLICY_DOCs/REMSCO%20Policy-11-02-EMS%20System%20Resource%20Utilization-8-Feb-2011.pdf

Will this be enforced? I think it is good but will definitely pose issues for some VAC's and "VAC's". Will something similar be implemented in the fire service...I see this posing the same issues.

Enforcement is up for debate. I don't know all the particulars, but i'm not sure if the REMSCO has enforcement powers, i know REMAC does...but their scope may only be limited to ALS (again, i don't know how the law is interpreted). That said, the REMSCO is tasked with managing EMS in it's respective area of oversight as per the public health law, the REMSCO here requires agencies to have QA & QI...and it looks like they are looking at the response time in terms of a QI issue.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Those are typically called "combo" departments, with the exception of those low down, dirty, cheaters who employee "janitors"....but that is a whol enother thread!

If a department is hiring people to drive the apparatus then they're not combo...they're the latter with their Janitors or maintenance personnel. Combo departments have firefighters hired off a civil service list.

[ex-commish 490]

http://www.wremsco.org/WREMSCO_POLICY_DOCs/REMSCO%20Policy-11-02-EMS%20System%20Resource%20Utilization-8-Feb-2011.pdf

Enforcement is up for debate. I don't know all the particulars, but i'm not sure if the REMSCO has enforcement powers, i know REMAC does...but their scope may only be limited to ALS (again, i don't know how the law is interpreted). That said, the REMSCO is tasked with managing EMS in it's respective area of oversight as per the public health law, the REMSCO here requires agencies to have QA & QI...and it looks like they are looking at the response time in terms of a QI issue.

I am not sure as to the enforcement powers of REMSCO either however I would think if it is written in thier policy shouldn't it be followed like any other standard?

[Healz 30]

<br />VAC - Paid personell??? That makes no sense....<br />

This all comes down to money and who controls it.

[JM15 386]

I am not sure as to the enforcement powers of REMSCO either however I would think if it is written in thier policy shouldn't it be followed like any other standard?

I'm sure the REMSCO police aren't going to come arresst you, but wouldnt this be valuable in court as it would be an accepted industry standard?

[huzzie59 75]

I seem to have forgotten what VAC's have paid daytime coverage, hours, and if applicable, what is their employing agency?

Thanks!

I guess you can't just get a simple answer to a simple question.

[huzzie59 75]

Tarrytown VAC

2 paid EMT's- 7am to 7pm - Monday to Friday

[comical115 32]

I guess you can't just get a simple answer to a simple question.

A simple question to continue a conversation we keep having. Can volunteer based EMS provide the *required* level of service to a community?

I'm sure the REMSCO police aren't going to come arresst you, but wouldnt this be valuable in court as it would be an accepted industry standard?

No, but if REMSCO feels an agency is not taking a mandate seriously through QA/QI then they can turn to NYS DOH. I believe it's Article 30 that requires every EMS agency to provide information QA/QI information to the regional organization (REMSCO).

On a side note, I was browsing the Westchester County REMSCO website and I stumbled across a study from 2008 that evaluated the Westchester County EMS system.

Quote: "The system is designed based on home rule where every community operates its own service in its own way. This is inefficient and results in available resources functioning independently and without the ability to benefit from surrounding resources. The system struggles to reliably reach the first call and additional simultaneous calls suffer from extended response delays." (Page 69, Finch & Associates LLC Study on Westchester County EMS system).

Westchester County EMS Study from 2008

[LTNRFD 266]

I'm all for that - I just dont understand the use of the acronym VAC, when there are poeple getting paid to operate the units.........is this common?

Many organization that have turned to paid personnel have changed the titles to EMS.

[JM15 386]

Many organization that have turned to paid personnel have changed the titles to EMS.

Not necessarily.... A lot of agencies that have paid staffing still use VAC...

Edited November 30, 2011 by JM15

[JM15 386]

In case anyone is curious...

Sent on behalf of Westchester REMSCO Chair, Daniel Blum. Please excuse duplicate notifications:

REMINDER:

The regular Westchester Regional EMS Council (REMSCO) Meeting was rescheduled for

Thursday, December 1, 2011

For your review, attached please find an agenda for this month's REMSCO meeting along with the draft minutes from the last meeting.

A link to the webcast of the September 22, 2011 meeting<http://wremsco.org/meetings.htm> is available at. www.wremsco.org<http://www.wremsco.org>

REMSCO MEMBERS are reminded to contact the Regional EMS Office at 231-1616 to confirm their attendance.

Please park in the lot adjacent to the Support Services Building at 35 Walker Rd.

(There is a stairway linking the parking lot directly to the training campus.)

Any questions should be directed to the Regional EMS Office at 914-231-1616.

Katherine O'Connor

Program Specialist, EMS Division

[LTNRFD 266]

Not necessarily.... A lot of agencies that have paid staffing still use VAC...

The ones that have gone totally paid. Many still have volunteers that ride or are the administration level. If the incorporation papers has Volunteer Ambulance Corps on them and until the papers are changed they will do business under the title VAC.

[newsbuff 286]

I still think its hilarious when you see an ambulance with "volunteer fire association VAC" on the side and two paid Empress EMT's get out.

[acckac 0]

how about in vacs, giving a stipend, under minuminum wage for rostering in house, or points for rostering in house. that way, when dispatched, you have a full crew that can respond right away. but this means that people will actually have to get up and not sit at home...hmm

[INIT915 1,119]

http://www.wremsco.org/WREMSCO_POLICY_DOCs/REMSCO%20Policy-11-02-EMS%20System%20Resource%20Utilization-8-Feb-2011.pdf

Thanks, I couldn't locate where that was. Now, it says "goal." Not requirement, rule, regulation, law, etc, right?

[Goose 188]

Correct...it's a goal, but I would assume if an agency doesn't start taking steps to mitigate their issues within a reasonable time frame there could be consequences. This is the most progress on this issue I've seen since i moved back to Westchester.

Regards to the Fitch study....pretty disgraceful if you ask me.