Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R,C-Horicon) introduced legislation that would permit any county, city, town or village within the Adirondack Park to establish a special district for the financing and operation of general ambulance services (A.5351). Current restrictions on the continuity of new fire districts create difficulties for rural communities and those with unique geography, particularly in the Adirondacks, and can limit response times and the ability to obtain volunteer crews. Unfortunately, this bill was blocked in committee for no other reason than partisan politics, and as a result, will not see a vote on the chamber floor.

“The average scene-to-destination time in the Adirondack mountain region is nearly double what it is throughout the rest of the state. This legislation seeks to address this issue by allowing communities to establish these special districts, increasing the quality of emergency protection services. This is an important bill for communities across the Adirondacks, especially in Hamilton County, where response times on average are four times as long as the statewide average. It is irresponsible for partisan politics to prohibit this bill from reaching a vote on the chamber floor,” Simpson said.