The Tompkins County Council of Governments voted to recommend that the Tompkins County Legislature adopt and fund an expanded rapid medical response (RMR) program for 2026 to relieve stretched ambulance capacity and shorten response times.

The resolution, advanced by the Council’s emergency preparedness subcommittee, asked the county to include start-up or seed funding in the 2026 budget so the program could be implemented without waiting an additional year. After debate the Council removed language that had asked the county to immediately apply for a municipal certificate of need; the resolution otherwise passed.

Why it matters: Several municipalities told the Council that volunteer and municipal ambulance services are carrying disproportionate loads of mutual-aid calls and that ambulance availability is uneven across the county. Supporters said earlier action and seed money would speed any county-level solution and protect municipalities that already provide service.

The Council’s emergency preparedness subcommittee framed the proposal as an enhancement to the county’s existing RMR program, which subcommittee members say already halves average response time for many calls but does not operate overnight or on weekends. The subcommittee said roughly half of RMR calls require paramedic-level care and that uneven municipal support can leave towns without a local available ambulance.

Supporters said the county should start funding so the operation can expand quickly if the consultant’s operational plan supports it. Opponents urged caution, saying the county has a pending operational review and a tight 2026 fiscal picture; they warned that asking for a major new ongoing county appropriation before the county’s planners and legislature finish work could be premature.

Several Council members described local strains. A Trumansburg-area representative said their ambulance was deployed multiple times outside its home area over a recent weekend; other municipal officials said steadily rising costs are forcing hard choices about local budgets.

After discussion, the Council voted to strip the line asking for an immediate certificate of need application and adopt the remainder of the resolution urging the legislature to fund an enhanced RMR program in the 2026 budget and to consider measures to speed implementation.

What the vote does and does not do: The Council’s resolution is advisory; it urges the Tompkins County Legislature to act but does not change county law or appropriate funds itself. The Legislative Finance Office and county administration will still set budget priorities.

Next steps: Subcommittee members and supporters said they will continue to brief legislators and the public on the planning work now underway and recommended keeping this item on the September TCOG agenda for follow-up after the consultant delivers more detail.