N.Y. Town Forms Ambulance District

June 26--SCHROON LAKE -- Town of Schroon residents will see an additional line on their tax bills next year when the Schroon Ambulance District is activated.

The Schroon Town Council voted to form the new special district, which is estimated to add a charge of 33 cents per $1,000 of assessment to town property taxes.

Schroon Town Supervisor Michael Marnell said the district should start its taxing powers Jan. 1, 2016.

"We are forming a district," he said recently. "It will hopefully be completed by 2016."

The Schroon Lake Emergency Squad had difficulty finding emergency medical technicians and drivers during the day, so the town has been contracting since January 2015 with E5 Support Services of Glens Falls to provide ambulance service in the township from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Volunteers on the squad have jobs during the day, he said, and they had difficulty manning a rig to go to calls, so the switch to 12/7 paid coverage was made.

"We (have) had to get mutual aid from North Warren (Emergency Squad). It's scary with volunteers; they're getting scarce."

The state's rigorous training requirements turn many away, he said, with basic EMT certification requiring 150 to 190 hours of training.

The Schroon Town Council passed the resolution in May that created the ambulance district.

The vote was 4-0, with Marnell and Town Council members Roger Friedman, Meg Wood and Clara Phibbs voting to create the district. Councilor Donald Sage was absent.

The creation of the new district did not require a voter referendum, Marnell said.

The ambulance district will have an elected Board of Commissioners that will oversee it and set a budget, he said.

No one spoke at a public hearing in May on establishing the ambulance district, the supervisor said.

"Every taxpayer in the Town of Schroon will pay for it," Marnell said.

Cost is expected to be about $200,000 a year for the 12-hour paid coverage.

If the squad can't maintain nighttime coverage and the town has to use E5 24 hours a day, the cost would double, along with the tax rate for the district, Marnell said.

"As long we have enough volunteers, we can run 12 hour (shifts)."

The state requires ambulance squads to be out of their garage in 10 minutes after a call, Marnell said.

"We'll get a review in the fall. If we have to go to full time (paid), it will be double (the cost)."

Copyright 2015 - The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.