Yates County ambulance corps get new rigs
Since late summer, three new ambulances and a mobile bicycle unit have been added to the Yates County emergency medical services resources.
Penn Yan Ambulance Corps has expanded its fleet of ambulances adding a new A4, and added a mobile bicycle unit to the services it offers. The Dundee Ambulance Squad put its new ambulance rig in service in late August, and the Middlesex Ambulance Corps recently put a new ambulance in service. “All of the ambulance corps have worked hard to obtain these critical resources so they can be depended on when needed,” says Chris Warriner, Yates County EMS Coordinator.
Penn Yan
The newest ambulance in Penn Yan, A4, is a Chevy diesel, like the other three ambulances, that was built to specifications determined by members of the ambulance corps. Kevin Becker, Director of Equipment, says A4 has an additional four inches of head room and a longer wheelbase to increase stability, but it is modeled after A3.
The new rig cost $158,000, and an additional $8,000 of equipment has been installed. It was put into the response rotation last week. That means it joins the other three rigs in Penn Yan, taking turns being dispatched to cover the 1,500 calls volunteers respond to annually, according to Becker.
Every time an ambulance is dispatched, it carries a driver and an emergency medical technician, each trained to carry out specific roles. The drivers spend hours observing and going through training and practice behind the wheel before they are cleared to pilot one of the rigs.
In all, the number of volunteers in the Penn Yan Ambulance Corps has grown by 19 in 2015 to total 66. In addition, the corps employs paid medics, and they all coordinate with Medic 55, an Advanced Life Support service operated by Finger Lakes Health out of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital.
Ambulances are tailored to the needs of a specific agency, explains Becker, noting that A1 has a special stretcher that’s needed in specific cases. “You don’t just go out and kick a few tires then buy an ambulance,” he says, explaining the process to purchase this rig began about 18 months ago, with the time from order to delivery being 260 days.
Planning is an important part of getting the equipment that’s needed, and keeping that expensive equipment in good shape, he notes.
“Our Board of Directors works hard to keep them up and ready to go out the door,” says Becker.
Mobile Responders
Two new bicycles equipped with oxygen, an AED, and other supplies and equipment, will be used by trained EMTs at special events in the community.
The bicycles will make their debut at the Nov. 26 Turkey Trot in Penn Yan, and will likely be seen during StarShine in December. Becker says they will also help EMTs respond quickly to needs at triathlons, Cruisin’ Night, festivals, Keuka College graduation, and other events in the Penn Yan area. Depending on the success of the bicycle unit, they may travel a little farther afield to events like the Naples Grape Festival or Empire Farm Days.
The pair of bikes and their equipment cost about $2,500, according to Becker.
Dundee
Members of the Dundee Fire Department identified the need for a new ambulance to replace A10 several months ago, and decided the best fit for the volunteer organization that is an arm of the Dundee Fire Department was a demonstration model that could be purchased at a discount without a lengthy wait.
A local fund raising appeal generated $52,000 that was supplemented by village funds to purchase the new $140,000 rig. Buying a demo model shortened the time it took to purchase a new ambulance, and the squad acquired a vehicle with a few extras they might not have ordered on custom built rig, says Ambulance Squad Captain Dianne Warriner.
Warriner says the Dundee squad, which operates two rigs, has responded to 423 ambulance calls so far this year.
Like most other area volunteer organizations, Warriner says the Dundee squad welcomes new members anytime.
