Ulster County legislators postpone competing EMS funding plans while approving targeted local contracts and equipment grants

Ulster County legislators on April 2 postponed two competing resolutions that would provide millions for emergency medical services (EMS) while approving smaller, targeted measures intended to provide more immediate coverage and equipment support.

Legislator Jason Kovacs, sponsor of a revised legislative resolution proposing $4,532,000 in one-time county funding for EMS, said the amendment reduced an earlier $5 million proposal and split the $4,532,000 “$2,000,000 to the towns, the balance to the ALS agencies.” He told the committee the resolution ties continued payments to measurable service improvements and requires recipients to submit detailed plans and sign intermunicipal agreements.

The county executive’s competing resolution would concentrate $2,800,000 on core advanced life support (ALS) agencies and $1,600,000 allocated by a three-part formula (call volume, population, assessed value) to municipalities or providers. Deputy County Executive (name not specified) and Department of Emergency Services staff argued that concentrating readiness funding with six core ALS providers and developing regional response capacity would be a more sustainable approach than dispersing funds to individual towns.

Lawmakers pressed for faster results for underserviced rural areas. Legislator Maloney said he favored immediate county-run options for the most rural locations unless contractors could produce quick, demonstrable improvements: “If we’re gonna do it, I want immediate results... I don’t want it even possibility to continue,”…