One of the most important points of emphasis in our communities, whether in cities or large towns like Poughkeepsie or Beacon, or more rural areas like Millerton or Pawling, is the operation of our emergency medical services and ambulances.
Dutchess County’s EMS workers are first responders to many major accidents, crashes, slip and falls, other serious injuries for our community residents. In addition to administering care, diagnosing injuries, and transporting people to the nearest medical facility, EMS and paramedic teams provide an essential service to the full recovery of the victim: creating a record of what happened, who was hurt, and what the condition of the patient was in the direct aftermath of the incident.
Reports filed by the EMS or paramedic team can help build a successful case for the full recovery of damages by the victim; information like the time of the call, the time of arrival of the paramedic team, statements on the scene, the vitals of the victim, and the time they were sent to the emergency room or medical facility are all vital.
If you’ve been injured in Dutchess County due to the negligence of another party, give us a call at 845-600-0000 to schedule a free consultation at our personal injury law office in Poughkeepsie, NY.
In this blog post, we’re going to take a deep dive into a 2021 Profile of Dutchess County EMS and Options for the Future report, prepared by the Rochester consulting firm CGR. Here are some of the insights:
1. Demand for Emergency Services is Rising
According to the report, demand for EMS in Dutchess County went up from 27,198 annual calls for service annually in 2011 to 30,316 in 2019, an increase of about 11%.
2. The System is Stressed
Dutchess County’s EMS system is routinely stressed to the point where ambulances are not available from the closest station, necessitating a response from another community. This can stretch response times and possibly cause complications to injuries that require prompt attention.
3. One in Four Personal Injury Auto Accidents in Dutchess County is Severe
| Call Type | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMS P1 | 11,446 | 11,841 | 12,119 | 11,921 | 8,498 | 11,832 |
| EMS P2 | 5,451 | 5,790 | 6,005 | 5,787 | 3,827 | 5,758 |
| EMS P3 | 2,495 | 2,614 | 2,445 | 2,378 | 1,603 | 2,483 |
| EMS P4 | 5,885 | 5,785 | 6,138 | 6,529 | 5,021 | 6,084 |
| PIAA P1 | 597 | 595 | 606 | 607 | 355 | 601 |
| PIAA P3 | 1,490 | 1,534 | 1,586 | 1,261 | 700 | 1,468 |
| Fire | 1,256 | 1,208 | 1,123 | 603 | 454 | 1,048 |
| All Others | 851 | 701 | 902 | 1,203 | 827 | 921 |
According to the data, “PIAA”, which refer to personal injury auto accidents, have a severity scale of “Priority One” or “Priority Three.” On average, between 25 to 33% of auto accident EMS calls are considered severe. Motor vehicle accident injuries in Fishkill, NY and the surrounding area make up about 6% of the total of EMS calls in Dutchess County.
4. Response Times Vary Widely
According to the 911 Center data, response times can vary greatly depending on where you are in Dutchess County. In the Town of Poughkeepsie, over 30,943 calls for service, only 2,318 had responses that took over 20 minutes, at a rate of 7%. This was the lowest in the county; in the Town of Pawling, 26% of their 3,522 calls for service required over a 20 minute response time, and 21% of Union Vale’s 2,449 calls required over 20 minutes.
5. Dutchess County is Losing EMTs and Paramedics
In 2012, Dutchess County had 349 EMTs per 100,000 residents; by 2017, that number dropped to 306, a decrease of 12%. Paramedics also dropped from 60 to 56 per 100,000 residents, a drop of 8%.
6. 1% of Dutchess County EMS Calls are Pedestrian or Bike-Related
In the period covered by the report from 2016 to 2020, a range of 114 to 163 high-priority personal injuries such as pedestrian crashes in Wappingers, bicycle crashes in Poughkeepsie or motorcycle crashes in Hyde Park occurred. in Dutchess County.That made up about 1% of the total EMS calls over that timeframe.