State grants enable NY EMS agency to purchase 2 ambulances

By Michael Randall
The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y.

NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. — Two state grants totaling $275,000 helped New Windsor Emergency Medical Services pay for a pair of new ambulances.

New Windsor EMS took delivery of the new ambulances, which cost a total of $400,000 including equipment, earlier this week. According to Michael Bigg, chief of operations, with the grants and trade-in values of the two old ambulances, the purchase only cost the service $50,000

Bigg said the fleet of six ambulances is getting more wear and tear than ever before.

New Windsor responds to more than 4,000 ambulance calls each year, and Bigg said the volume has risen more than 40 percent in the past six years.

New Windsor is one of only two municipal ambulance services in Orange County to have paramedics on staff.

The grants were obtained with the help of former state Sen. Bill Larkin and his successor, state Sen. James Skoufis.

Skoufis said the funding will "empower (New Windsor EMS) to continue to provide their essential services to our community."

"I want to thank my predecessor, Sen. Bill Larkin, for securing this grant, and I was proud to see it through when I got to the Senate," Skoufis said in a provided statement. "I'm beyond grateful for our volunteer emergency service members, and will continue to fight to assure they are supported by the state."

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©2019 The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y.