COHOES – Cohoes is headed toward having two ambulances covering the city, but whether that will be an outside agency or the Cohoes Fire Department remains undetermined as planning starts for a short-term and long-term solution for emergency medical service.
“We need a short-term solution. We need something for the immediate crisis on hand,” Councliman Adam Biggs of the 5th Ward and chairman of the Common Council Public Safety Committee said Tuesday night.
Rob Wattsman, president of the Cohoes Firefighters Union, and other firefighters pushed for the city not to sign a long-term contract for ambulance coverage and instead move to have the fire department provide the coverage.
“We are working toward a solution; possibly a solution that involves an in-house EMS,” Biggs said.
A letter from Dr. Bruce Ushkow, medical director for the fire department, advised Fire Chief Joseph Fahd, that in his opinion, “operating our own transport service would be the wrong decision. It would be expensive, and we do not have the ability to scale, thereby decreasing costs.” Ushkow advised contracting for advanced life support service.
Former councilman Randy Koniowka proposed hiring eight full-time paramedics to staff a full-time advanced life support ambulance.
About 20 people gathered at the Cohoes Senior Center for the second Public Safety Committee meeting on the issue of ambulance service.
City leaders say the community needs service from two ambulances. One will provide advanced life support, while the other would supply basic life support coverage.
Mayor Bill Keeler has said a study will be conducted on how the city should proceed with obtaining ambulance service. He said in a telephone interview after the meeting that a local auditor has volunteered to do a free study but would not name the person without first…
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