Rotterdam EMS is making repairs and updating its system as it prepares to re-enter a contract with the Town of Rotterdam.
There’s a lot of paperwork that’s going on in the background, said Joe Vanderworker, president of the board of directors for Rotterdam EMS. `All they want is an ambulance to appear on their door step, and I’m just trying to get through all the paperwork to make sure that happens.`
Rotterdam EMS is updating the computer system to make things more efficient, and working on the final contract that will be signed by the organization and the Town of Rotterdam.
Terry Hannigan, lawyer for Rotterdam EMS, said he is `thrilled` that Rotterdam EMS will continue serving the town, which selected REMS as the primary emergency provider at the Thursday, Feb. 5, Town Board meeting.
`From my standpoint, I’m very excited that this day is upon us ` that the town is now going to invest capital into the ambulance service,` said Hannigan.
`It’s been a long time coming ` it can only mean stability and growth and the continuation of the service that they’ve provided over the last 60 years,` said Hannigan.
REMS had been experiencing some financial problems because, for several months, Medicare reimbursement checks were not coming in. Vanderworker said the reason for that was a `snafu in paperwork and numbers and whatnot,` but REMS’ biller has managed to `straighten everything out.`
`We went from November until a few weeks ago with a couple of Medicare checks, and they were building up and building up, and we just received a check close to five figures,` said Vanderworker. `We paid off a bunch of bills, and we still have money in our account to make payroll.`
With the influx of much-needed funds, REMS was able to put another ambulance on call on Friday nights. Vanderworker said he hopes that it is just the beginning.
`We’re polling our staff to find what people that will want to work a 12-hour day on Saturday and Sunday because we want to work 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday because those are critical hours,` said Vanderworker.
He said they miss a lot of calls during these times because they don’t have enough coverage. When REMS can’t answer a call, it goes to the next service on a list that includes, in order of priority, Western Turnpike, Altamont Rescue, Greater Amsterdam Volunteer Ambulance Incorporated and Mohawk Ambulance.
`I don’t know if it’s [extended hours] going to start this week or not, but it probably will start next week,` said Vanderworker.
Eventually, he said, he would like to have one ambulance running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with an additional ambulance on for 12-hour shifts during the weekends.
Rotterdam Ambulance merged with White Eagle five years ago to form Rotterdam EMS, which caused some hiccups in how the organization was run.
`There were a lot of things that got dropped; one of the biggest things was the federal 501c for not for profit organizations,` said Vanderworker, who said federal authorization as a not for profit is required before an organization can apply for grants, many of which provide critical materials, such as new ambulances.
`We wanted to file for a couple of grants; ambulance replacements, oxygen generators so we can make our own oxygen, and I can’t file for any of those grants yet until the 501c is filed,` said Vanderworker.
Plans to file are in the works, said Vanderworker, and things should be completed in two to three weeks.
`Another thing that fell through the cracks was that we never got our New York State tax exemption status,` said Vanderworker.
He said that those are the things that `are hurting us along the way.`
Plans are in the works to file the needed tax paperwork, as well.
Rotterdam EMS is also working to put in place License Event Notification Service, or LENS, a program through New York State DMV. If a Rotterdam EMS employee gets a DWI, his or her license is automatically suspended, but Rotterdam EMS has no way of knowing unless it hears about it. With the LENS program, an organization is notified immediately.
`They can’t come in and say, ‘I still have a license and I can still drive,’` said Vanderworker. `We have all these programs on hold right now, but eventually we’ll get them up and going.“