Madison County is making strides to make sure the people who live there have access to emergency medical services, and other counties across the state are taking note.
Director of Emergency Medical Services Jenna Illingworth said many communities across the country are in crisis when it comes to providing EMS services.
When EMS is not considered an “essential service,” many counties rely on private ambulance services, which is not always a solution.
"Sometimes, they're busy. They're backed up. They're backing up other agencies. They're off in other counties. They're doing all kinds of things, and if there's nobody there to support the EMS system as it is, it's going to continue to collapse like it has been in New York state," said Illingworth.
A new state law is requiring counties across the state to develop and maintain plans this year to make sure the people who live there have access to EMS services.
Madison County is ahead of the game. Illingworth said in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic, county lawmakers saw a loss of paramedic services and ambulance providers, and they worked toward a plan to help.
In 2022, Madison County EMS was launched, adding a countywide medic car, or a “fly car.”
Illingworth said that initiative continues to grow, with the county currently running eight ambulances and three fly cars.
Ahead of the new law taking effect, Illingworth has helped at least six other counties across the state create programs that work for them.
"Some of these counties are much, much bigger than just little old Madison County, and it's fantastic to see that that hard work has been used in other places, and it works for them,” she said.
As for Madison County, Illingworth said she will continue to monitor the current EMS services available across the county and assist as needed, so when people call 911 with an emergency, someone is available to help.
"If (a private ambulance service) fails or someone decides that they can't do this anymore, we're going to be there to step in and take over to make sure there is no loss to the EMS coverage in this county because that's important to us,” she said.
