That question has been raised numerous times in recent weeks during the deliberations over whether or not to create a town-wide ambulance district, serving the entire Town of Montgomery, including the villages of Walden, Montgomery and Maybrook. As we are aware, each village board must vote to consider the proposal.
The short answer to the question is: nothing.
If any of the villages choose not to opt in (at this writing only the Village of Montgomery has said “yes” thus far), we are told there will be no ambulance district and the status quo will remain. If you dial 911, the dispatcher will direct the nearest available first responder to your house. It could be a Town of Montgomery Ambulance crew that responds, but it might not be, especially if the local crew is already on its way to Garnett Medical Center or Montefiore in Newburgh. The nearest responder might be the paid ambulance service from Mobil Life, or the Town of Newburgh EMS, or possibly the Town of Wallkill Ambulance. At times, we learned last week, the nearest EMS responder could be coming from as far away as Kiryas Joel. If that’s the case, response could be very slow. And at times, response can be a matter of life and death.
With all due respect to the First Responders from Kiryas Joel or the Town of Wallkill, local residents deserve better. They need to have a well-trained crew available when an emergency occurs. The ambulance that needs to weave its way through heavy traffic at Scott’s Corners, needs to do so quickly.
That’s why we need to approve the Town of Montgomery Ambulance District.
The Walden Village Board has been taking their time to decide the issue. It’s what we like to call due diligence. No one should fault them for asking many questions throughout the process. The taxpayers they represent deserve answers, and deserve to know that the village has their best interest in mind when they ask many questions.
Trustee Patricia Maher reminded her colleagues that they do have a fiscal responsibility to their constituents, but there’s also the matter of their welfare. That means working to ensure our public safety.
Creating an ambulance district will not always guarantee the fastest and safest response, but it’s the best option. It also provides something else that elected officials like to provide for their citizens. It’s called peace of mind.
It’s time to move forward with this plan.