Move would not affect volunteer services
The Putnam Legislature voted unanimously on June 20 to obtain certification to operate advanced life support ambulances, in what could portend a break with its contract with the private Ambulnz service.
The move does not affect volunteer ambulance corps, like those serving Philipstown, which offer more basic medical care.
Ambulances that provide advanced life support (ALS) are typically staffed by paramedics who treat heart attacks, strokes and other medical crises. By comparison, volunteer ambulance staff are usually emergency medical technicians trained to stabilize a patient until the vehicle can reach a hospital.
Putnam began reviewing its ALS needs last month when Robert Lipton, the new Bureau of Emergency Services commissioner, told the Legislature that Ambulnz might use a 90-day escape clause to end its contract because it said the deal was unprofitable.
The county should be prepared if that happens, he said, noting that once Putnam has its own certification, it can accept bids from a wider range of providers because they could use the county’s authorization if they do not have their own.
The Legislature scheduled a June 6 vote but delayed action when questions arose because the proposed resolution referred to the county wanting to also secure basic life support services from commercial providers. It was revised to limit its focus to ALS.
“We don’t want to [indicate] that we are going into running basic life support departments and the ambulance corps,” said Legislator Ginny Nacerino of Patterson, who chairs the Protective Services Committee.
Securing advanced life support service in the county has not been a smooth ride. In December 2021, then-County Executive MaryEllen Odell chose to replace EMStar with Ambulnz, which bid $1.49 million for coverage in 2022, the first year of a five-year contract, about $400,000 less than EMStar.
Volunteer ambulance corps members and other critics warned that Ambulnz could try to raise its rates after 2022 and might be stretched thin.
Before the vote to switch to Ambulnz, Legislator Nancy Montgomery, who represents Philipstown and part of Putnam Valley, complained that legislators had not seen the contract. But Nacerino said the Legislature’s only function was to approve a $40,467 transfer to launch the Ambulnz deal. “The contract is executed by the county executive,” she said, and “it would have compromised the integrity of the contract” to let legislators review it.
Montgomery expressed satisfaction with the June 20 vote, calling the 2021 decision “a total disaster. It never should have happened. I’m happy to see it getting cleaned up.”
