SOMAC has decided to discontinue EMS operations, and Madison County EMS will now provide coverage for the SOMAC ambulance district. Colgate has been actively engaged in discussions with Madison County Emergency Management and SOMAC to better understand the implications of this transition for our community and to understand the availability of essential emergency response capabilities on our campus.
Below are some answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding this transition.
About Madison County EMS Services
With the primary ambulance being staffed by a full-time staff, response times are expected to be minimal (less than 3 minutes). As with SOMAC and any other ambulance provider, travel time to the patient is largely dependent upon a variety of variables, including:
- Location of Call/Distance from Station
- Weather
- Road and Traffic Conditions
Response times are impossible to guarantee given that emergencies are not scheduled and the host of variables that come into play (crew availability if it is a second call, weather, road conditions, etc.). It is our understanding that Madison County EMS plans to station crews in the former SOMAC facility in Hamilton.
For Emergency 911 Response Madison County EMS will staff one ALS ambulance 24/7/365. Based on call data, one ambulance is deemed as appropriate as it is rare for SOMAC to be "double hit" (two emergency 911 calls within two hours). Madison County EMS staff work 24-hour shifts with an EMT and a paramedic. Colgate student/volunteer EMT staff are expected to be integrated into our emergency response crew as a 3rd provider.
If Madison County EMS is tasked with inter-facility transfers, a second ALS crew and ambulance would be necessary between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily for non-emergent transfers. After-hour transfers would be limited to emergent, life-saving needs in which the 24-hour crew can handle the case of the call.
If Madison County EMS is tasked with Colgate athletic stand-by assignments, the county plans to utilize a combination of students and our part-time staff to provide coverage. This is how SOMAC currently operates.
Additionally, Madison County EMS staffs an ALS Fly-car in southern Madison Count from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday - to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, and 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday. While the flycar cannot transport a patient, the provider can provide ALS services while a mutual-aid ambulance is en route.
- Madison County EMS will provide at least one primary ALS ambulance to the SOMAC coverage area 24/7/365.
- Secondary ambulance crews will typically be at an ALS level but may only sometimes be, particularly if Colgate students staff the secondary crew.
Discussions are now underway for Madison County EMS to utilize the SOMAC facility. This building is well-located within the coverage area and is designed for use by an EMS agency.
The County has the following advantages:
- Town of Sullivan revenues out-pace their costs, providing a profit that can be utilized to provide EMS services elsewhere in the county.
- The County operates a pre-existing Fly-Car servicing the County, including SOMAC's service area. These costs are already covered within the County budget.
- The County has administrative support already covered within the County budget.
- The County administrative team is also a provider (3 Paramedics and 2 EMTs, with three being salaried employees. As providers, the admin team is available to jump in whenever there is a staffing emergency to ensure 24/7/365. This built-in readiness is difficult to match in smaller agencies, particularly at no additional cost.
- The County has an educational program built to provide continuing education in-house, public outreach (CPR/Stop the Bleed), and EMT training.
If, in a few years, the area seeks to re-acquire a CON (Certificate of Need) from a new provider, one can be applied for from the NYS Department of Health.
Student Volunteer Opportunities
Madison County EMS met with the COVE team and will have a place for Colgate students to volunteer. Madison County EMS will work with COVE to develop a MOU. In addition, Madison County will be staffing a full-time trainer, expanding learning opportunities for interested Colgate students.
Events and Athletics
Madison County EMS will discuss the Colgate University Athletic Stand-by requirements with Steve Chouinard. Unlike SOMAC, the County intends to forgo stand-by fees for University events where Colgate students staff the BLS Crew. The county also plans to honor pre-negotiated rates if there is a need for County staff, be it an ALS provider or when students are unavailable. The same would apply to non-athletic stand-by events.