Town of Tonawanda Scales Back Ambulance Service Plans URGENT

UPDATE: The Town of Tonawanda has just announced a significant change to its emergency response strategy, scaling back its plans to establish an independent ambulance service. In an urgent meeting on Monday, local officials voted to extend their current partnership with Twin City Ambulance through a new two-year contract.

Only months ago, in October 2022, the town was actively pursuing plans to replace Twin City Ambulance amid rising concerns over emergency response times. However, Town Supervisor Joe Emminger revealed that the complexities of launching a new service were far more challenging than anticipated. “I originally thought it’d be the beginning part of 2025, then it became the middle of 2025, and then I just said sometime in 2025,” Emminger stated, highlighting the difficulties in navigating state regulatory requirements.

The town’s ambitious goal of hiring 20 EMTs for its own service fell short, with fewer than expected applications received. Under the new agreement, Twin City Ambulance will continue to provide around-the-clock service, while the town will maintain one of its own ambulances, staffed by just four EMTs by the end of this year.

Initially, the town purchased three ambulances with plans for a fourth, but now it will retain only two. Emminger confirmed, “Other municipalities have reached out to us, and we’re going to be selling those other two ambulances, or they will at least be leased by the end of the year.” This decision is expected to avoid any financial burden on taxpayers, making it a win-win situation for the community.

Emminger expressed gratitude for Twin City’s cooperation during this transition. “This isn’t the plan I had envisioned last October, but I think it’s a plan that really does serve the Town of Tonawanda,” he said. The new service agreement is set to remain in effect until October 2027.

Residents are urged to stay tuned for updates as the town works to implement this revised emergency response plan. The commitment to improving emergency services remains a top priority, and local officials are optimistic about the path forward.