Schenectady County Legislature authorizes countywide surge ambulance, directs CON application

Schenectady County — The Schenectady County Legislature on May 5 authorized the county manager to apply for a Certificate of Need (CON) from the New York State Department of Health and to enter a contract to add a countywide mutual‑aid ambulance intended to operate 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, seven days a week, with a projected start date of July 1, 2025.

Legislator Jasinski, chairing the committee on firefighting and EMS, called the presentation and said the action follows more than a year of study and coordination with county staff and local emergency providers. The measure passed the Legislature on a roll call that produced 11 ayes and 4 absences.

County EMS deputies Walter Funter and Katie Sims presented county EMS data showing stable total call volumes but a substantial rise in mutual‑aid requests and in the time needed to find an available transporting ambulance. "We are here to provide services to help the residents and visitors of Schenectady County," Katie Sims told the Legislature. The deputies reported mutual‑aid requests rose from about 1,057 in February 2022 (roughly three per day) to about 1,388 in 2024 (almost four per day) and that the county increasingly must rely on out‑of‑county ambulances, which lengthens response and transport times.

Why it matters: County presenters said the plan reallocates existing regional ambulance capacity to hours of highest need rather than creating a new county ambulance service. The goal is to reduce on‑scene wait times, lower the number of unanswered mutual‑aid requests and reduce out‑of‑county transports that can add 10–20 minutes or more to response times.

What the Legislature authorized: The resolution directs the county manager to: - Apply for a Certificate of Need (CON) from the New York State Department of Health on behalf of Schenectady County; - Enter into a contract with a provider (presenters identified Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services, REMS, as the planned contractor) to supply a countywide mutual‑aid or surge ambulance operating 8 a.m.–8 p.m., 365 days a year; and - Pursue enrollment and billing approvals with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers so the county can bill for transports rendered under the contract.

Contract terms and oversight: Committee members and staff said the proposed contract requires the contractor to collaborate with county Unified Communications and EMS coordinators and to deliver quarterly utilization and financial reports to the county within 30 days after each quarter (reports due Oct. 31, Jan. 30, April 30 and July 30). Legislator Jasinski said the contract will include periodic evaluations and 90‑day cause provisions.

Debate and follow up: Committee members praised the data‑driven approach and asked about staffing and contractor capacity. Presenters said REMS expects to add staff and has ambulances that are currently unstaffed; the county intends to reallocate that unused capacity rather than purchase and staff new vehicles. Legislator support emphasized speed and cost efficiency compared with creating a brand‑new county service.

Formal action and outcome: The committee moved the measure to the full Legislature. On the May 5 floor roll call the resolution passed; the clerk recorded 11 ayes and 4 absences. The authorization directs the manager to proceed with the CON application and contract negotiations and establishes reporting requirements by contract.

Ending: County officials said they will monitor utilization data closely and return with updates. The Legislature’s approval enables the county to begin the CON process and finalize a contract with a provider in advance of the targeted July 1, 2025 start date.