Duanesburg ambulance corps has bad response times, and attitude
Re Feb. 9 article, “An ambulance is ready, but no crew — Corps lacks volunteers to respond to emergency calls”: I read with interest your recent article about the difficulties of the Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps and would like to share some thoughts as a concerned citizen. A few years back, I had what I thought was an unsatisfactory response time by the above-mentioned ambulance corps to an emergency involving my very ill elderly mother. Subsequently, I had a number of communications with the corps and with the Schenectady Emergency Management office, and spent some time finding out what was going on in the ambulance corps and listening to emergency calls on the scanner. The entire experience was not pleasant — including the arrogant responses to my communications. I should point out that in the case of my mother’s emergency, the Duanesburg Fire Department responded very quickly to my 911 call, and I was very pleased with their efforts, but the ambulance took much, much longer. Apparently, the fire department is always dispatched on every ambulance call, and they respond with their emergency vehicle and personnel. I have learned from listening to the scanner that this is always the case and they are always very quick to the scene and are frequently the ones who suggest getting an alternate ambulance en route when there is no response from the Duanesburg Ambulance Corps. In my mother’s case, one of the fi refighters volunteered to fill out the crew on the ambulance just to get it rolling out of the garage. Over the years, apparently, many firemen have volunteered in both organizations. One of my suggestions, after my mother’s incident, was that since there were four ambulances and four fire departments located in each of the communities around the town and that the firefighters always respond anyway, why not put the ambulances with the fire departments? Seems logical to me and to others I have discussed this with, but that concept was quickly shot down as not workable. Well, no ambulance at all is not a good alternative. It seems that for some long period of time the Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps was a very closed organization, run by a few, who apparently alienated a lot of volunteers and a lot of the community. It seems there was much effort to accumulate physical assets and grow the visibility of the corps at the expense of building the people assets. For years, before the ambulance corps, the only emergency service the town had was that of the local undertaker, who would frequently roll his hearse to an emergency with little help, and got people to the hospital. Now we have four ambulances, a beautiful building and a lot of bureaucracy and maybe less service. I don’t have an intimate knowledge of the workings of the current organization and some of my comments may be tainted by a bad experience, but emergency service in a growing town must be addressed seriously as the unpredictable service can, and perhaps already has been, deadly. JACK BROWN Delanson
Is there anything that people from the other neighboring communities can do to help?
I realize that any volunteer for the DVAC probably has to be a Duanesburg / Delanson resident, but at the same time, I'm sure that it's going to cost more to the town to have someone such as Rotterdam or Mohawk respond, both in money and most importantly, time.
I realize, also, that it seems there's an issue with leadership. And from how these articles read, the town has no say in anything that goes on with the Corps, except for the funding that is given to them?
Does anybody have a clue what can be done to help?
Mohawk could bring big bills, plus a response time coming from State Street in Schenectady. Rotterdam EMS (no longer volunteer itself) has closed ranks so much that they can't keep both garages open at all times, what makes people think they'd have time to respond to an emergency in Duanesburg? And with a 10-15 minute ride, lights and sirens on the way, there's no way that anything could be considered a "quick" response.
Yeah, the bullies need to be ousted....not too sure how their funding is done....some taxes?...private insurance pays?...are they paid?...who is paid?...who is in charge?....is it just a 'club' with a feel good name?.....when folks move to the country these are services that are far and few inbetween(folks choose to live like this)...I would say educate the townfolks with Basic Life Support, CPR and First aid.....there is a nice community building that needs some use or the school.....knowledge goes a long way-money just gets complaints.....the more the folks know about the inside the less of a mystery it would be and maybe more volunteers with bigger egos than those already in charge would come out in force? As for response time, 1min or 5min can seem like an eternity....even in a hospital when the equipement and support are right at hand......
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Is there anything that people from the other neighboring communities can do to help?
Rotterdam is helping us out temporarily. Gotta tell you guys, they are fantastic to work with. I hope you realize how lucky you are to have them. Go with nothing for a while and you will count your blessings. Nothing is perfect in the world of emergency services, you can only create the best scenerio possible. No details at this point other than we are working on it
It appears that Mr. Smith has an identity problem along with an attitude problem. It sounds like he runs a dictatorship! This clearly is not a position or occupation for him. He should run for office for the county legislature! He'd fit in just fine!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
DUANESBURG Ex-squad captain offers to return Calls currently going to Schenectady and Rotterdam BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
The former captain of the Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps has agreed to lead the unit again if the acting captain and his wife cease their involvement, she said Monday. Susan Wengenack, the volunteer who led the company until taking a leave of absence last July, said she would return on the condition that Acting Captain Bruce Smith and his wife, Board of Directors chairman Sharon Smith, agree to retire. The five-year veteran of the company said she was trained to replace Smith in 2006, but took her leave nine months later, after becoming fed up with her leadership being undermined. “I was exhausted doing calls and doing everything around the station, in addition to listening to Bruce,” she said Monday. Board member Amy Jo Simpson said the company is still evaluating its options after town officials told state police dispatchers last week to direct all emergency calls to either the Rotterdam Emergency Medical Service or Mohawk Ambulance in Schenectady until further notice. Though unaware of the Smiths’ intentions, she said, Wengenack would be an ideal leader to correct the company’s disarray. “She has all the qualifications to be a captain and she would put her heart and soul into it,” she said. Duanesburg officials have set a special meeting to discuss the ambulance service’s future at 6 p.m. Thursday at Town Hall. Sharon Smith confirmed Monday the company has stopped receiving dispatch calls for emergencies. But in the event the town lifts its directive or the ambulance service is needed, she said, volunteers are continuing to stand by at the station. “It’s hard to sit there and hear the calls,” she said. “But we’re here listening and we’re here waiting.” Smith said the company is trying to develop a rough schedule when volunteers are available. “We are trying to arrange coverage, but it’s hard to pinpoint exact times,” she said. “It can’t be etched in stone.” She declined to discuss internal personnel issues. The nonprofit ambulance company came under fire this month after a dramatic increase in missed calls between December and January, as well as an overall increase in response times. Whenever Duanesburg is unable to respond to a call, mutual aid companies are dispatched from Rotterdam and Schenectady, meaning it sometimes takes more than 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Company officials blamed the declining performance of the ambulance service on a lack of volunteers. Many former volunteers and even officers from other emergency organizations stated recently that this shortage is made worse by Smith’s overbearing attitude. The town provides the ambulance service a $43,000 annual contribution, which amounts to about a third of the company’s overall budget. This year, town officials were contemplating a $50,000 contract with the company, in addition to $20,000 held in escrow for reimbursing new medical equipment purchases. In return, the town asked the company to significantly reduce expenditures, including eliminating one of four ambulances and reducing travel to out-of-town events such as the Iron Man triathlon in Lake Placid. Company officials never responded to the requests. Last week, members of the Duanesburg Town Board asked to see a roster of when they need shifts covered, so that dispatchers would have an idea when the station isn’t adequately manned. Jim Stairs, the operating manager of the Rotterdam service, said compiling such a list would allow dispatchers to better direct emergency calls. On days when the company is short volunteers, he said calls could be automatically routed to Schenectady or Rotterdam. “It’s been done in other places in the region,” he said. “But it requires them to take a full, comprehensive look at when they’re running into these problems.” Schenectady County Emergency Coordinator Bill VanHoesen said the town is moving in the right direction with the ambulance company. He said the suspension of calls going to the company will provide it the necessary time to get back on track. “[Town officials] are giving them a breather and allowing them to reorganize,” he said.
Duanesburg should force the issue with ambulance corps
The town of Duanesburg absolutely did the right thing last week when it stopped using the dysfunctional Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps, referring 911 calls to the Rotterdam and Mohawk ambulance services instead. It shouldn't start again, or provide any more funding, until the corps gets new leadership — which is another way of saying, gets rid of Captain Bruce Smith and his wife, Sharon, who is chairwoman of the corps' board of directors. Only then can the ambulance company hope to rebuild its depleted volunteer ranks and tarnished reputation. Smith, although knowledgeable about the emergency business, is a control freak and martinet who has driven away many volunteers from the company and poisoned relations with emergency crews from other jurisdictions. One of those who left is former Captain Susan Wengenack, a capable leader who said the other day that she would be willing to come back provided Bruce Smith leaves. In an age of two working parents and greater entertainment choices at home, volunteers for ambulance and fire companies are getting harder and harder to find. Duanesburg was holding its own, but, thanks to Smith's ways, the numbers have plummeted, with people not only leaving but others being discouraged from joining. The result is lack of coverage, missed calls and poor response times, which are now averaging around 20 minutes. That could be deadly. It would never have come to this if the board had exercised its responsibility. No one person should be able to bring down an organization as important to the community as this one is. The Town Board also deserves some blame, though. It has been reluctant to get involved in the affairs of a private organization. But this is one private organization with a big public mission, as the town has recognized in providing $43,000 a year, more than a third of the ambulance company's budget. The town funding should now be used to get the board to do its duty and show the Smiths the door. Failing that, the town should let the corps die of its self-inflicted wound and contract with either Rotterdam or Mohawk for ambulance services.
Community center opens to serve Duanesburg area New facility includes gym, pool, fitness area and meeting rooms
By TREVOR JONES, Special to the Times Union First published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008
DUANESBURG -- After years of planning and fundraising, a new community center has opened off Cole Road designed to meet the growing needs of the town and surrounding areas.
The Duanesburg Area Community Center, located off the Normans Kill in Delanson, is a 26,000-square-foot facility that features a gymnasium, swimming pool, fitness center, child care and meeting spaces. Plans for a community center began eight years ago and final cost is expected to be about $5 million. The idea sprang from a group of local parents who wanted a place for their children to play basketball. In 2000, they formed a nonprofit organization to find a location to meet their needs. A 6,000-square foot facility was leased from Planet Fitness in 2003, and the facility quickly grew to include several after-school youth programs. As demand from residents increased, the group began raising funds for a larger facility. The group received a $250,000 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund in 2005. An additional $370,000 was secured by state Sen. Hugh Farley through the Office of Small Cities last September. The 9.2-acre site was donated by Ken Romanski, the center's board of directors president, and ground was broken in December 2006. Patrick Ciraulo, the center's executive director, said he has received a great response from the community, with membership nearly doubling to 1,200 members since opening earlier this month. He expects membership to eventually reach up to 4,000 members. Duanesburg is in the southwest corner of Schenectady County. It is bordered by Albany, Schoharie and Montgomery counties. Ciraulo notes that residents in all four counties typically had to travel far distances to use the type of facilities this center will offer. "This is something beneficial to everybody," he said. "It means a great deal," said Rene Merrihew, Duanesburg town supervisor. She believes the the center will fill a vital role by meeting the diverse needs of a growing population. Despite a declining population in the city of Schenectady since 2000, Schenectady County population has increased by 2.7 percent over the same time period, according to census figures. Farley agrees that the new building is a crucial step in meeting the growing needs of the rural community. He sees the new facilities as a means to improve the quality of life for those who live there, and offer a place to come together for both young and old. "This will create a sense of community that doesn't exist," he added. While the center is partially open, there are projects left to be completed, including the swimming pool that is expected to be ready in two weeks. Ciraulo believes the remaining funds can be raised by April, and a grand opening with state and local officials will take place in the spring when landscaping can be completed. Trevor Jones is an intern. He can be reached at 454-5420.
DUANESBURG Town ambulance to get first call 3-minute window makes response unlikely BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Personnel from the Duanesburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps will have three minutes to muster a crew for an emergency call before state police dispatchers signal for mutual aid from other area rescue companies, town officials said Thursday. The brief window will make it nearly impossible for the nonprofi t ambulance service to respond to emergencies, effectively continuing a Town Board policy diverting all calls to the Rotterdam Emergency Medical Service or Mohawk Ambulance in Schenectady. Last week, board members directed the state police to cease dispatching the company and gave its Board of Directors a week to produce a roster of volunteer availability. By dispatching calls outside of Duanesburg, however, the town inadvertently caused Rotterdam’s ambulance service to violate state Department of Health regulations. These guidelines require that the town’s certified ambulance service be given at least three minutes to respond to an emergency before a mutual aid company is dispatched, Supervisor Rene Merrihew. “It’s bureaucratic red tape, but it’s the best thing this town can do to stay in compliance with the law,” she told a standing-room-only crowd at Town Hall Thursday evening. Town officials expressed dismay at the failure of the ambulance service’s leadership to produce the roster the town requested. Board member Martin White advised the company to devote their time away from being dispatched to emergencies to creating a plan that will rejuvenate the ambulance service. “We want you to succeed,” he told the company’s board. “What we’re looking at right now is a reprieve so you guys can reorganize.” The ambulance corps came under fire this month after a dramatic increase in missed calls between December and January, as well as an overall increase in response times. Whenever the ambulance service is unable to respond to a call, it can take more than 20 minutes for another mutual aid company to arrive. Some company officials blamed the missed calls and slower response times on a lack of volunteers. Many former volunteers and even officers from other emergency organizations stated recently that this shortage was made worse by Bruce Smith, the ambulance service’s former captain. “Everybody knows what the problem is,” shouted Jim Wengenack, the husband of Susan Wengenack, who served as captain between 2006 and 2007. “It’s Bruce Smith and his crony board.” Board Chairwoman Sharon Smith said her husband is no longer the captain and has decided against serving the position in a temporary capacity. She said the company will be led by Marc DeBraccio, a senior crew chief, until the ambulance service can conduct elections later this month. “The crews that are there are working together with a united front,” she said following the meeting. Schenectady County Emergency Management Director Bill VanHoesen offered his assistance to the ambulance service. But he said the insistence that the problems were solely related to a lack of volunteers is not addressing the company’s issues in their entirety. “There are seven other organizations here in town and no one else is saying they’re in a crisis situation,” he said. The ambulance service is also going on its second month without a contract from the town, meaning it now lacks nearly a third of its operating budget. By having calls diverted to other ambulance services, the company is also stripped of its primary source of revenue. Merrihew said the town will continue to withhold a contract from the company until it can demonstrate its reliability. She said the roughly $70,000 budgeted for the service this year will be withheld indefinitely. “It’s not something that is on the table at this point,” she said. Sharon Smith said the company is also committed to doing whatever is necessary to remain solvent. She said the volunteers are exploring a number of fundraising opportunities to continue generating revenue. “We’re going to do whatever we can do to keep this going,” she said.
Yes they did!!! And it is so refreshing to see people in a political position who 'actually' work on the behafe of the people who elected them. GREAT JOB!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Rene and the town board members did a commendable job in serving the interests of the town residents despite some adversity and the focus of many television cameras. As I stated at the meeting, I applaud our elected leaders for doing what was necessary to ensure the public safety of the residents. This is a fundamental responsibility of government.
I believe that the residents of the Town of Duanesburg will pull together once there is a change in leadership at the DVAC. There are many fine individuals who serve the public through their volunteer efforts. Those who remain on the DVAC find themselves in a difficult position. Many who resigned their DVAC membership have offered to return under a different squad Chief and Board Chairperson.
Duanesburg is a community of neighbors who care for and about one another. I am confident that individuals will place what is in the interests of the community over their own. And, I hope that the personal relationships will persevere with the understanding that all sides of this issue want what is best for the residents and the DVAC.
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