COCHECTON, NY — Emergency ambulance service was a topic of discussion at the September 9 Cochecton town meeting. Resident Pauline Johnson raised the topic and Cochecton Volunteer Ambulance Corps member Peter Grosser talked about the logistical difficulties of both funding the service and making sure everyone is covered, especially in life-or-death situations.

Johnson wanted to know if services are up to date in case anyone needed urgent care. She indicated elderly neighbors and others may need speedy response in emergencies.

Supervisor Gary Maas said that someone had been dead on arrival in Westchester Medical Center the previous Friday, and that could have been due to slow response times.

The board members quizzed Grosser about how the actual emergency system works. Grosser said that it’s hard to find volunteers, even after the corps conducted an extensive search and placed newspaper ads. He said that revenue and reimbursements are significant issues. He said the towns have their own volunteer crews, while Mobilemedic, based in Hurleyville, is a business. He said the organizations work together in sharing calls to provide a service to the area.

Grosser explained that Mobilemedic is trying to merge with the towns to generate revenue, which is complicated by the fact that the number of calls in the area fluctuates wildly from season to season. During the summer in the town, the average is 16 to 17 calls per month, and in other seasons, it is four to five calls per month. The difference is due to Skinners Falls, where many locals and visitors go in the summer, Grosser said.

Grosser continued that if those calling don’t have insurance, the service gets nothing. The charge is $75 per call, but if people sit around all day waiting for the call, it’s not a lot.

Johnson said, “How do I get Advanced Life Support (ALS) if my neighbor looks like she’s going to have a heart attack?”

ALS ambulances come with special equipment, and are staffed by emergency management technicians (EMT) who have special training. Dialing 911, and explaining someone is having trouble breathing and has chest pains, the classic heart attack symptoms, will ensure that a Mobilemedic unit is sent on the call.

Board member Anna Story asked, “What is the time between you getting the call, and Tusten getting the backup call?”

Grosser explained, “The calls are split, but if we take the call, they cancel it, even if they’re on their way.”

He said, “It’s not an easy task. Many people cannot do it, even registered nurses or doctors. It has to be an EMT,” because the job requires specialized training.

Johnson was not satisfied with what she heard, and indicated she’ll take the matter up with Scott Samuelson, chair of the Sullivan County Legislature.