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After ultimatum from Beacon ambulance, Fishkill board explores Empress takeover and district expansion
Summary
Town leaders said Beacon Volunteer Ambulance informed them it needs $1.1M or will stop covering three districts; Empress representatives offered to assume coverage, proposing a second 24/7 ALS ambulance for the town at an estimated incremental cost of about $200,000 (bringing total town cost to roughly $387,000). Board authorized town attorney to pursue options and seek draft steps to expand ambulance district if needed.
Town officials told residents that Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corporation recently told the town it needed roughly $1.1 million (with about $500,000 proposed from local taxpayers) to continue covering three Fishkill districts, and warned that coverage might end by the end of the year if funding isn’t secured.
Empress Emergency Medical Services representatives Robert Stuck (executive director) and Mike Manurva (president) told the board Empress is licensed to cover the whole town and can step in immediately if Beacon discontinues service. Empress presented recent activity and financial estimates from its regional operations and proposed adding a second 24/7 ALS ambulance for townwide coverage.
Empress said 2025 figures showed roughly 2,325 requests in the Rombout/Roundout ambulance district and that Empress backfilled dedicated units 313 times last year; Beacon‑covered calls numbered about 1,237 in 2025, yielding approximately 865 transports, a primary source of billing revenue that offsets operating costs. Empress proposed the town’s current ambulance cost of about $187,000 would rise by roughly $200,000 to add a second full‑time ALS ambulance (to a net of about $387,000 for two dedicated ALS units), citing transport revenue that would offset some costs.
Board members asked technical and procedural questions about staffing (ALS vs BLS), mutual aid, and financing. Several members emphasized the need to avoid any lapse in coverage and directed the town attorney and clerk to explore options for expanding the Rombout Ambulance District or other legal mechanisms to secure funding; they also suggested interim hybrid coverage arrangements while legal steps proceed. No final financing decision was made; the board granted permission to move forward with attorney discussions and to pursue the district expansion process if necessary.
Why it matters: Ambulance coverage is an immediate public‑safety service; residents were told to expect continuity of emergency medical service while the board pursues legal and financial steps to secure long‑term coverage.
What’s next: Town attorney to work with the clerk to research options for district expansion, prepare necessary public‑hearing timelines and return with a draft plan and cost estimates. Empress said it would provide transitional coverage if Beacon withdraws.
