WE'RE NEWS 4 AND WE'RE 4
BUFFALO."))
NIAGARA COUNTY WANTS TO CHANGE
UP ITS AMBULANCE SERVICE. COUNTY
OFFICIALS SAY POOR RESPONSE TIME
FROM THE CURRENT PROVIDER IS
PUTTING RESIDENTS AT RISK,
NEWS 4'S JENN SCHANZ SPOKE TO
THE COUNTY AND THE COMPANY IT
HOPES TO PARTNER WITH, MERCY
EMS. JENN?
JAQUIE, THIS ALL STARTED LAST
SUMMER, WHEN AMERICAN MEDICAL
RESPONSE, OR AMR.... PULLED OUT
OF THE MAJORITY OF NIAGARA
COUNTY. THAT LEFT THE TOWN OF
NIAGARA FIRE DEPARTMENT WITHOUT
AN AMBULANCE SERVICES. MERCY EMS
STEPPED IN, AFTER TOWN OFFICIALS
OBTAINED A
MUNICIPLE CERTIFICATE OF NEED.
NOW, EMERGENCY SERVICE OFFICIALS
WANTS MERCY EMS TO HELP THE
WHOLE COUNTY, WHICH IS NOW
LARGELY BEING SERVICED BY TWIN
CITY.
(("TWIN CITY, WHICH DOES PROVIDE
SERVICE TO SOME JURISDICTIONS
WITHOUT NIAGARA COUNTY HAS
ASSISTED SOME AREAS, BUT NOT
THE POINT OF WHAT IS NEEDED."))
EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR FOR
NIAGARA COUNTY JONATHAN SCHULTZ
SAYS THE NEED COULD BE FILLED BY
ANOTHER
SERVICE, MERCY EMS.
(("IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE, YOU
KNOW WE'RE LOOKING TO HELP THE
COUNTY AND ALL OF THE PROVIDERS
THAT ARE IN NIAGARA COUNTY; FIRE
AND EMS.")) SCHULTZ GIVES CREDIT
TO VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES IN
THE COUNTY... TRYING TO FILL THE
GAP LEFT BEHIND BY AMR. THESE
NUMBERS SHOW RESPONSE TIMES OVER
A 4-MONTH PERIOD LAST YEAR.
BLUE IS A 20 MINUTE RESPONSE,
YELLOW IS 30... AND RED IS
ALMOST AN HOUR. DIRECTOR OF THE
MENTAL HEALTH IN NIAGARA COUNTY,
LAURA KELEMEN... SAYS POOR
RESPONSE TIMES ARE IMPACTING
ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE PATIENTS
IN A BIG WAY. FOR A MENTAL
EMERGENCY CALL,
WHICH KELEMEN SAYS COME EQUALLY
FROM URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IN
NIAGARA COUNTY, AN AMULANCE
SERVICE IS CALLED. SHE SAYS
RESPONSE TIMES FOR RURAL MENTAL
HEALTH PATIENTS HAS BEEN SO BAD,
LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS HAD TO HELP.
(("IN LATE 2016 MORE THAN 50
PERCENT OF TIME, INDIVIDUALS HAD
TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE NEAREST
EMERGENCY FACILITY HANDCUFFED IN
THE BACK OF A SHERIFF'S CAR."))
MERCY EMS APPLIED TO EXPAND IT'S
OPERATING TERRIROTY, UPON THE
REQUEST OF THE COUNTY. THE
REGIONAL BOARD WHO OVERSEES
THESE THINGS, GAVE THEM THE
THUMBS UP, BUT DURING A 30 DAY
WAITING PERIOD, THE MOTION WAS
APPEALED BY TWIN CITY AND AMR.
THOSE APPEALS WILL NOW BE
FORWARDED TO A LAW JUDGE IN
ALBANY. DEPENDING ON HOW THEY
VIEWS THE MATTER, THE ISSUE
COULD THEN BE FORWARD ON TO A
STATE COUNCIL, WHO NEXT MEETS IN
MAY. IN A RESPONSE TO OUR STORY,
AMR SAID IT'S RESPONSE TIMES IN
THE CITY OF NIAGARA FALLS, WHICH
THEY STILL... IT'S ONLY
MUNICIPALITY UNDER THEIR SERVICE
IN COUNTY. THEY SAY THERE
RESPONSE THERE MEETS OR EXCEEDS
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