BY Stephanie Specchio
YATES COUNTY--Yates County has approximately 25,000 residents, with a population of 73.3 people per square mile (2020 statistics per the U.S. Census). Until just recently, three ambulance corps served the emergency medical needs of those who requested assistance. Last week, the county breathed new life into the system with mutual aid.
“When primary aid is not able to respond, Yates County will assist,” said Ryan Bailey, EMS Coordinator for the County. “We are trying to replace out-of-county mutual aid with in-county mutual aid. The county also now has access to advanced life support services 24 hours a day.”
Currently, in Yates County, ambulance corps operate in Dundee, Middlesex and Penn Yan. Dundee is entirely volunteer. The other two organizations operate under a hybrid model, with some paid staff and other volunteer staff.
Plans to implement these services at the county level began approximately 25 months ago, and one month after Bailey assumed his current position. Bailey identified gaps in service, including the lack of around-the-clock access to advanced life support and extended response times, and began working with a team to improve access to emergency care.
With resources allocated from the county, the Office of Emergency Management has hired 13 people, bought two used ambulances (which are currently in the county’s possession), one new ambulance, a variety of equipment (stretchers and cardiac monitors, for example), and a fly car that was converted to become the advanced life support first response vehicle. The fly car was put in service on June 8.
“We saw the need and approached the county,” Bailey said. “Livingston County has operated in this manner for 15 years. We used their approach as a model to provide support and back-up for services that were already in place.”
YATES COUNTY--Yates County has approximately 25,000 residents, with a population of 73.3 people per square mile (2020 statistics per the U.S. Census). Until just recently, three ambulance corps served the emergency medical needs of those who requested assistance. Last week, the county breathed new life into the system with mutual aid.
“When primary aid is not able to respond, Yates County will assist,” said Ryan Bailey, EMS Coordinator for the County. “We are trying to replace out-of-county mutual aid with in-county mutual aid. The county also now has access to advanced life support services 24 hours a day.”
Currently, in Yates County, ambulance corps operate in Dundee, Middlesex and Penn Yan. Dundee is entirely volunteer. The other two organizations operate under a hybrid model, with some paid staff and other volunteer staff.
Plans to implement these services at the county level began approximately 25 months ago, and one month after Bailey assumed his current position. Bailey identified gaps in service, including the lack of around-the-clock access to advanced life support and extended response times, and began working with a team to improve access to emergency care.
With resources allocated from the county, the Office of Emergency Management has hired 13 people, bought two used ambulances (which are currently in the county’s possession), one new ambulance, a variety of equipment (stretchers and cardiac monitors, for example), and a fly car that was converted to become the advanced life support first response vehicle. The fly car was put in service on June 8.
“We saw the need and approached the county,” Bailey said. “Livingston County has operated in this manner for 15 years. We used their approach as a model to provide support and back-up for services that were already in place.”
