Wayne County begins work to meet new state EMS planning law

Paul Fera, the county EMS Coordinator, told the Wayne County Public Safety Committee on April 7 that “the Governor has signed comprehensive legislation requiring counties to develop formal EMS plans,” and county staff have begun work to meet the new requirements.

The committee heard that the change in state law will require a county-level formal EMS plan. Fera said departments are inventorying current resources and protocols to identify gaps and determine a timeline for compliance. The report noted ongoing issues with ambulance unit tracking that informed discussion of technical solutions: current unit tracking systems lose signal after about two hours, particularly when vehicles are at base. Fera described a proposed fix to install GPS units on building rooftops rather than on individual ambulances to ensure continuous signal and improved tracking reliability.

The conversation also covered recent technical problems at communications infrastructure. Fera reported that an incorrect microwave unit was initially installed at the Macedon communications tower; he identified an available antenna that resolved the unit mismatch but said the contractor, NB&C, has requested compensation through a separate change order. The committee approved the contract amendment related to the tower 5-0 but noted Lee’s reluctance to approve additional payment without clearer resolution of contractor performance issues.

The committee set no enforcement deadline during the meeting; Fera said staff will return with a timeline and recommended next steps for formal plan adoption and required policy updates.