Wayne County Supervisors are scheduled to vote Monday night on a two-part plan to create a county-run Emergency Medical Services (EMS) unit.
Phase one calls for two new ambulance buildings
The Finger Lakes Times reports the plan was approved last week by the Supervisors’ Public Safety Committee. Phase one calls for building a four-bay ambulance garage at the county complex on Route 31 in Lyons at a cost of $1.8 million.
The first phase would include building a three-bay garage to serve the northern part of the county. County officials hope to put that building in Sodus. It would cost $120,000 for the land and $1 million dollars for the building.
The county would then purchase four ambulances, stationing two in Lyons and one in Sodus. Each ambulance would cost $175,000 and they would be equipped at a cost of $119,200.
Phase two would include three-bay ambulance bases in Walworth and Rose. Each would house one ambulance. Officials believe it could be a challenge in the current job market to staff the ambulances.
Related: Canandaigua Emergency Squad, Naples Ambulance complete merger
Number of volunteer EMS squads falling, response time is long
The county currently has no EMS service of its own. It staffs so-called fly cars to assist volunteer EMS crews throughout the county. However, some of those services have disbanded or cut service in recent years. A 2020 report showed average ambulance response time in the county was 21 minutes. County officials would like to see that number drop to 15 minutes.
The startup cost of the service would be $5.5 million. The county has $1.1 million in American Rescue Plan money available and might be able to get more. The annual cost of the service would be about $6.2 million, but revenue from billing would lower the cost to $500,000 annually.
Supervisors meet Monday night at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Palmyra.
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