Rockland Paramedic Services
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Rockland Paramedic Services, Inc. (RPS) is a non-profit organization formed through the joint efforts of Good Samaritan and Nyack Hospitals to provide state-of-the-art Advanced Life Support Emergency Medical Services to the residents of the Towns of Haverstraw, Stony Point, Clarkstown, Ramapo, and Orangetown in the County of Rockland, NY. In 1996 they began serving the Town of Tuxedo in Orange County.
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[edit] About Rockland Paramedic Services
Rockland Paramedic Services was formed in 1991 with the merger of the Nyack Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital paramedic programs. Until that point both hospitals provided paramedic "fly-car" services to the various towns in Rockland County. Nyack Hospital covered mostly the eastern half of the county, while Good Samaritan hospital covered the western half. Patient transport was provided by the various local volunteer ambulance corps.
[edit] Facts about RPS
The RPS population served is 304,064[1] with a response area of 246 square miles[2].
[edit] Firsts for RPS
- First in Orange and Rockland Counties to be certified as an Advanced Life Support First Responder
- First to Develop a comprehensive 12-Lead EKG program in NY State
- First to use Cellular Telemetry in NY State
- First Bike Medic Program in NY State
- First to obtain EMT-D Certification for Volunteer Corps. in Rockland County
- First to conduct EMT-Intermediate programs in Rockland County
- First to establish a Fire Department Rehabilitation Program in Rockland County
[edit] Units and Area Served
RPS has seven "Medic" units which are stationed in the various communities.
- Medic 1 responds to 911 calls in the Towns of Haverstraw and Stony Point, including Bear Mountain State Park with the following Volunteer Ambulance Corps:
- Haverstraw Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Stony Point Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Medic 3 responds to 911 calls in the Town of Clarkstown with the following Volunteer Ambulance Corps:
- New City Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Congers-Valley Cottage Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Nanuet Ambulance Corps.
- Medic 5 responds to 911 calls in the Towns of Clarkstown and Orangetown with the following Ambulance Corps:
- Nanuet Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Nyack Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Congers-Valley Cottage Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Medic 21 responds to 911 calls in the Town of Orangetown with the following Ambulance Corps:
- Pearl River Alumni VAC
- South Orangetown Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Piermont FD
- Medic 23 responds to 911 calls in the Town of Ramapo with the following Ambulance Corps:
- Ramapo Valley Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- William P. Faist Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Sloatsburg Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Hatzolah Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Medic 25 responds to 911 calls in the Town of Ramapo with the following Ambulance Corps:
- Spring Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Hatzolah Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
- Medic 31 responds to calls in the Town of Tuxedo with the following Ambulance Corps:
- Tuxedo Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
[edit] Special Operations
The Rockland Paramedic Services Special Operations Division was entered into service in September 2002. They were created as an answer to the need in Rockland County for a specialized medical unit to assist regular 911 operations during extended emergency incidents.
Extended emergency incidents include fire stand-bys, Hazardous Materials Incidents, extrication of patients from remote areas and search and rescue incidents. The team is also used for non-emergency events or stand-bys. These type of events include parades, marathons, fireworks events, street fairs, cycling races and any other event where there are large numbers of people.
Team members undergo extensive training in Incident Command Systems, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Hazardous Materials Operations and Public Safety Rehabilitation. Specialized equipment used includes VHF, UHF and low band base radios, cellular telephones, cellular facsimile, special misters for cooling crowds, chemical agent antidotes, portable stretchers, tents, and large amounts of bulk supplies that our crews would need. They also have a portable generator, portable lights, and oxygen administration equipment capable of administering oxygen to 25 patients at a time.
The team's first actual deployment was very successful. The team was utilized at the Hazardous Materials incident at the Rockland County Health Complex in the fall of 2002. Over 100 patients were triaged, evaluated and treated by the team members working side by side with local EMS volunteers and representatives from the Rockland County Health Department, as well as Fire Services and other emergency management officials.
[edit] Rockland MobileCare
RPS also manages Rockland MobileCare/Regional EMS, which provides ambulance transportation for Orange and Rockland Counties in New York, and in Pike County, Pennsylvania.
[edit] Notes and References
- ^ 2005 US Census estimates of Rockland County Population + Town of Tuxedo Population.
- ^ 2000 US Census bureau data of Rockland County (199 Sq. Mi.) + Tuxedo (47 Sq. Mi.).
