Homer Supports County EMS Grant Application Aimed at Assisting TLC Ambulance

During Tuesday’s Village of Homer Board of Trustees meeting, the board voted unanimously to provide a letter of support for Cortland County’s application to the New York State Department of State Local Government Efficiency Grant. The grant would help fund the creation of a county-operated, paid ambulance service to supplement existing emergency medical services.

Mayor Pat Clune read the letter aloud during the meeting, stating the village strongly supports the county’s proposal to establish a county-run ambulance service as a backup resource for local EMS agencies. The letter notes that EMS providers face increasing challenges maintaining consistent coverage and that a county-operated service would help ensure timely and reliable emergency medical care without displacing existing services.

Homer Fire Chief Jay Riley explained the letter was drafted by Cortland County Department of Emergency Response officials, including Deputy Director of Emergency Management Courtney Metcalf, who have been exploring the creation of a county-operated ambulance service to support TLC Ambulance. Riley said Metcalf contacted local municipalities seeking letters of support for the grant application, which is due Feb. 4.

“This would be Homer stating that we are in favor of the county having its own ambulance service,” Riley said. “It would act as a backup to TLC and help alleviate the need for frequent mutual aid from surrounding communities.”

Riley said TLC Ambulance has increasingly relied on mutual aid from Marathon, Tully, Dryden and other agencies when it is unable to respond. He added the county began seeking municipal support after TLC stopped responding to certain fall-related calls one to two years ago.

Riley said one of his first calls following that change involved a fall that later became a medical emergency, requiring Tully Ambulance to respond before TLC was eventually dispatched.

“That decision affected the village almost immediately,” Riley said. “They’re looking for support from municipalities, and the grant application is due by the fourth.”

Trustee Mike Opsteegh asked whether the county-operated ambulance service would result in additional costs to the village. Riley said funding for the service would be included in county taxes and that the grant would help cover startup costs.

He said the grant would help establish an Advanced Life Support ambulance staffed by a paramedic, as well as a fly car that could respond when a paramedic is unavailable through TLC. Riley said the grant could last up to five years, after which the county would need to determine long-term funding.

“There would be no additional taxes for the Village of Homer,” Riley said.

Trustee Liz Arnold asked whether the grant was related to recent state discussions on EMS funding. Clune said the funding is separate and explained the county is seeking an Emergency Licensed Service designation to allow it to fall under a different tax cap.

Riley added that EMS is not currently classified as an essential service by the state, unlike police and fire, and legislation to change that status has remained unsigned for two years.

“The state has pushed back and said that if there’s an EMS issue, the county has to figure it out,” Riley said.

Riley noted Tompkins County currently operates fly cars, which he said have benefited residents by providing quicker medical response while awaiting an ambulance.

The proposed county-operated ambulance service would assist municipalities throughout Cortland County, including Marathon and Cincinnatus, when local services are unavailable, Riley said.

The board later voted unanimously to provide conditional support for the grant application. Homer Town Supervisor Mike Park, who attended the meeting, also requested a copy of the letter so the Town of Homer could consider supporting the application.