FONDA — Montgomery County’s burgeoning EMS Division is now providing the highest level of care after upgrading to Advanced Life Support (ALS) capabilities.
“This was always the goal and we’ve continued to work hard. We’re providing the highest care possible for our constituents,” Montgomery County Sheriff Jeffery Smith said Tuesday.
Basic Life Support (BLS) was initially provided when the county rolled out in-house ambulance services on March 4. Authorizations to upgrade to ALS capabilities were subsequently secured from the state and Adirondack-Appalachian Regional EMS Council.
County ambulance crews were officially able to start providing the higher level of care after picking up needed supplies and medications on Friday afternoon.
“It's all about getting the proper care that's needed to a patient quickly,” said Sgt. Justin Smith, county EMS coordinator.
BLS is the first level of care focused on stabilizing patients and sustaining life through fundamental techniques and equipment. This could involve administering first aid or CPR or using automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
At that level, county crews were only dispatched to calls when no other ambulances were available.
“We were able to get patients to the hospital that needed to get to the hospital,” Justin Smith said.
ALS offers enhanced interventions at emergency scenes, including the potential administration of medications. Advanced cardiac and other monitoring equipment enables ambulance crews to gauge the level of hospital care patients require in order to ensure they are transferred to the appropriate facilities.
“Advanced Life Support gets more in-depth toward fixing issues and gives more options,” Justin Smith said. “It’s basically a rolling ER until you can get somebody to a hospital.”
Since being cleared to provide ALS, Justin Smith said crews have already begun treating patients accordingly and have administered medications when appropriate.
In rural Montgomery County, Jeffery Smith said it’s essential to ensure ambulances are available to respond to calls and able to provide top-tier care until patients can be transported to medical facilities, which can involve extended travel time.
“It’s very important to be able to provide medication and life-saving medical skills on the scene and to help bridge that gap until you get doctor's care,” Jeffery Smith said.
The upgraded level of service means all four ambulance providers operating in Montgomery County are ALS certified. Other agencies are Lake Valley EMS, St. Johnsville Area Volunteer Ambulance Corp. and the Amsterdam Fire Department.
The county service was launched to supplement existing agencies and ensure a quick response to local medical emergencies. County ambulances responded to 50 total calls from the inception of the service through early Tuesday afternoon.
While he would not speculate on the impact county ambulances have had on patient outcomes, Justin Smith said the calls to-date show the service is needed to support residents in partnership with other agencies.
“If the county was not in service, we would have had to find a different route for that ambulance call to be handled,” Justin Smith said. “Every ambulance agency in the county works together. Between the four of us, we all work together to provide the best patient care out there possible.”
Multiple agencies in the region have shut down in recent years, increasing the demand on remaining providers already grappling with rising call volumes and far reaching staffing shortages.
These challenges have contributed to lagging response time when few ambulances are running or when crews are unavailable while already responding to calls or performing interfacility transports. Justin Smith said the launch and enhancement of the county ambulance service is aimed at stabilizing the “EMS crisis” alongside other agencies.
“We’re still working and looking ahead and trying the best we can for the citizens of the county,” Justin Smith said. “It’s a team effort, not one ambulance or person. We’re all going to work together to [provide] the ambulance care needed.”