Highway superintendent says EMS needs more storage as state adopts 2025 building code

Highway Superintendent Tom Windes told the Space Deans Committee on Aug. 6, 2025, that the county's newly reorganized emergency medical services will likely need more storage space as they receive additional equipment and supplies. "They're getting a lot more materials coming in, and they need space for that," Windes said. Windes said he has been speaking with "administrator, Carissa," and that he was asked to meet with EMS to determine their future space needs and produce a cost estimate. "So, we figured that if we could get that together, maybe get together a cost estimate of how much that space would be, then we could start going after grants and, potentially finding them a home," he said. The superintendent also reported a preliminary review with building codes officials on the county's highway building project. "We did get the preliminary approval from codes. They had just some minor changes, minor clarifications," Windes said, noting the only substantive question raised by reviewers concerned the front entry door and whether a vestibule was required. Windes added that he had been informed that "New York state codes' adopted the 2025 version, which will go into effect in December. So which will include all of the energy codes and all electrification." He said that one local contractor or reviewer (referred to as Hunt) disagreed that a vestibule was necessary. Why it matters: determining EMS storage needs and the building code changes affects grant eligibility, design requirements and future operating costs. The cost estimate Windes described is the next step before seeking grants or identifying a permanent location for EMS supplies. Meeting context and next steps: Windes said staff would meet with EMS leadership to define space needs; the committee did not adopt any formal policy at the meeting. Windes suggested preparing the cost estimate to support grant applications. No timeline for that estimate was given; Windes said he had not had recent follow-up conversations on some items.