About Colonie EMS
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Our
Mission
To direct all aspects of the Town of Colonie Emergency Medical
Services system and to provide basic and advanced life support
to the Town.
- Emergency medical treatment and transportation
of the sick and injured
- Developing standards policies and procedures
pertaining to the EMS system
- Continuous quality improvement
- Emergency medical dispatch
- Basic and advanced life support ambulance
service
- Original and continuing education
- Community training
The Town of Colonie Emergency Medical
Services Department is a paramedic and ambulance service licensed
by the NYS Department of Health and authorized to provide emergency
medical treatment and transportation services to the Town of
Colonie and the Stanford Heights Fire District. Colonie EMS also
provides mutual aid to neighboring communities as well as air
ambulance service aboard the NYS Police Lifeguard Air Rescue
helicopter. |
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Services
Colonie EMS is unique in that it employs a combination of paid
and volunteer staff, working side by side and wearing the same
uniform. We have roughly 50 paid and 150 volunteer staff members
helping the community. Colonie EMS responds to over 8,000 emergency
calls each year from 4 strategically located stations with a
fleet of 20 various emergency vehicles. Our EMS Stations are
located at:
 EMS Station # 1,312 Old Wolf Rd (Latham)
Serves as EMS headquarters and back-up support to the entire Town
 EMS Station # 2 Consaul Road
Covers the Stanford Heights, Midway and Village of Colonie Fire Districts
 EMS Station #
3 Osborne and Albany-Shaker Road Covers the Shaker Road-Loudonville,
Village of Menands, West Albany, and Fuller Road Fire Districts
 EMS Station #
4 Loudon Road
Covers the Latham, Boght, Verdoy, Maplewood and Schuyler Heights Fire
District
Colonie EMS is an advanced life support
(ALS) service with a Paramedic responding to and assessing each
patient. The daytime operation is staffed predominantly by
paid staff, while the night operation is staffed predominantly by volunteers.
The average response time for priority
"1" calls is six minutes and our paramedics arrive at the
scene in less than nine minutes with 90%
accuracy. Our long term survival rate for cardiac arrest in 1998
was 9%. This percentage is comparable to that of Seattle, WA, which is widely regarded as the gold standard of EMS systems
in the USA.
On each shift, there is a chief officer
on duty who acts as the shift commander. The staff work 12 hour
shifts and respond from four EMS stations. All staff (paid and
volunteer) are required to meet the same standards to qualify
for the rank of Driver, EMT, Advanced EMT and Paramedic. All
personnel are uniformed in the same manner both paid and volunteer.
First
Responders
Services are delivered by Colonie EMS with Advance Life Support and Basic Life Support first response
is provided by six volunteer
fire departments and our Town Police Department. Medical direction,
supervision, and Quality Improvement for all first responders is provided by Colonie
EMS. Colonie EMS requires all first responders to sign a contract
with the Town which requires them to meet strict standards for the provision
of first response services.
All first responders must complete DOT First Responder Training,
have Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification and meet NYS minimum equipment requirements. In 1998
all fire departments became operational with Automated External
Defibrillators
(AED's) and in December
of 1999, all Colonie Police patrol units were be equipped with AED's.
EMS Special Operations
Colonie EMS is usually first to arrive at the scene of most medical
emergencies and rescue situations in the community. Due to the
need for EMS personnel to gain access to patients, regardless
of location, the need for proper training and equipment became
evident. Just as their military counterparts, civilian EMS personnel
need to be properly trained and equipped to access, assess, treat,
package and evacuate patients, even in hazardous environments.
With these principles in mind, the Colonie EMS Special Operations
Team was developed. All staff holding the rank of paramedic are
required to be trained as rescue technicians and have completed
the following training:
- Vehicle Rescue
- Basic Water rescue
- Ice Rescue
- Technical Rope Rescue
- Confined Space Rescue
- Haz-Mat Technician
- Technical Rescue/Haz Mat
Colonie EMS Special Operations is an integral part of the
initial response to all rescue situations and are part of each
of the Town's specialized rescue teams for Water/Ice Rescue,
Confined Space Rescue, Technical Rope Rescue and Haz-Mat. Both volunteer
and paid staff are members of the team. Fifteen of our Special
Operations Team Members are also members of the New York State Urban
Search and Rescue Team based in Albany.
- The team has been deployed as far north
as Clinton County for the ice storm disaster
in 1998, and to Mechanicville, New York for an F-3 tornado disaster.
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- Lifeguard Air Rescue
In early 1993, the New York State Police approached Colonie EMS
about the possibility of providing medical and rescue crew staffing
to their Albany based helicopters. The Town Board approved the
concept and a Memorandum of Understanding was developed with
the New York State Police Aviation Unit. A group of paramedics
was then selected and had to complete the DOT training program
for Flight Paramedics.
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- In July of 1993, the Albany-based Lifeguard
Air Rescue was born and responded primarily to scenes
within a 75-mile radius of Albany. By early 1994, the need to
deploy paramedics into mountain rescue and water emergencies
became evident.
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- By 1995, almost 33% of Lifeguard Air
Rescue's missions were for search and rescue. The other 66% provided air
transports for critically injured patients and inter-facility transfers
of patients. Other than US
Coast Guard and Air Force Pararescue Units in Boston and New
Jersey, the Lifeguard Air Rescue program is the
only team capable of helicopter rescue operations
in New York and New England.
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- Lifeguard Air Rescue
flew 219 missions in 1998.
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- Bike Team
To cover special events, Colonie EMS deploys personnel on
bicycles to patrol and rapidly access emergencies in crowd situations.
In addition to regular department members, the EMS Explorer Post
also participates as part of the team to cover special events.
Honors/Awards/Affiliations
Colonie EMS receives regional honors
In 1992, Colonie EMS was awarded the EMS Service of the Year award by the Regional EMS Council of
the Hudson-Mohawk Valley.
Colonie EMS receives award as the
nation's finest !
The Town of Colonie Emergency Medical Services Department was
awarded the National Association of Emergency Medical Technician's
National Paramedic Service of the Year Award for 1999. Services
from across the United States compete to receive this prestigious
annual award. The award is given to one service of high distinction
that has demonstrated excellence, innovation and community service.
Previous award recipients have been EMS agencies in Tampa, Kansas
City, St. Louis, and Houston.
Colonie EMS personnel were on hand to
receive the award at the National Association of EMTs symposium
in Syracuse, New York on October 2, 1999.This national award-coinciding
with our tenth anniversary was especially nice and served to recognize
all of the members of our community EMS team: EMS Department,
Fire Departments, Police Department, Medical Community and our
Town administration, all of whom are part of our nationally recognized, high
caliber service.
How To Contact The Emergency
Medical Services Department
Mailing Address
Public Safety Center
312 Wolf Road
Latham, New York 12110
Phone Number
782-2645
In an emergency dial
911 for EMS, Police and Fire
Fax Number
782-2656
E-Mail
ems@colonie.org
To contact our offices during business
hours call (518)-782-2645
Chief
Jonathan Politis, BA, NREMT-P
Medical Director
Dr. Michael W. Daily , MD
Deputy Chief
Peter Berry, BPS, EMT-P
Night Division Assistant Chief and Captains
Jack Bevilacqua, AS, NREMT-P
Ralph Fasano, BS, NREMT-P
Mike Kimok, NREMT-P
Day Division Assistant Chief and Captain
Raymond Hughes, III, AS, EMT-P
Ray Falusczcak (Acting Captain) EMT-P
Support Services Assistant Chief
Paul Fink, AS, NREMT-P
http://www.colonie.org/ems/
Last updated 6/22/04
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