Dedicated. Reliable. Professional.A nor’easter struck our region yesterday, bringing snow at a rate of up to two inches per hour in some areas. Driving conditions were extremely hazardous for most of the day and our crews were out responding to an inrush of emergency calls. Local news stations dropped in on a couple of our crews to see how we cope in severe weather.
EMT Supervisor Joseph Vertefeuille joined News Channel 13 this past weekend to share information on staying warm and safe as temperatures drop below freezing.
ImmuNYze: NY Vaccination Campaign Website
The Campaign to ImmuNYze all New Yorkers is an initiative of the County Health Officials of New York (NYSACHO), created to heighten awareness about the need to immunize throughout life—from infancy to senior years. The goal is to unite patients, parents and providers around this important issue, as well as offer reliable, scientific-based information on vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Campaign strives to provide up-to-date, accessible information about adult and child immunizations with the goal of increasing vaccination rates throughout the state. Please visit their website for more information on the importance of vaccinations, and how they can be acquired.
Recommended Vaccination Schedule
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Mohawk Ambulance Service, the largest, privately-owned ambulance service in upstate New York, is pleased to announce the promotions of Brandon Hermance to Albany regional manager and Lindsay Desbiens to dispatch supervisor. In his new role, Hermance oversees day-to-day operations of Mohawk Ambulance’s Albany-area operations and manages public and contractual relations within the city.
Hermance began working at Mohawk Ambulance Service in 2011 as an 
EMT, promoted to supervisor a year later, and became a station leader and certified paramedic in 2014. In his years with the company, Hermance has received two Distinguished Service Awards and a Star of Life Medal, the highest award an emergency medical service worker can receive. He holds a certificate in paramedicine from SUNY Cobleskill and serves as a volunteer firefighter.
Lindsay Desbiens was recently promoted to dispatch supervisor. Desbiens joined Mohawk as an EMT in 2013 and was promoted to Supervisor after a year of service. In 2014, she received top honors from the United New York Ambulance Network (UNYAN) after being selected for the award by her superiors. Desbiens began working in dispatch full time in December 2015.
“Lindsey and Brandon have shown continued excellence in their careers with us at Mohawk and their list of promotions and awards are
a reflection of that,†said James P. McPartlon, III, president, Mohawk Ambulance Service. “I look forward to their continued growth and success with the company.â€
Since September, Mohawk Ambulance has added an additional 19 employees, including 14 emergency medical technicians (EMTs), three dispatchers, one paramedic and one non-emergency vehicle driver.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Mohawk Ambulance Service announces its participation in the New York State Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (SEMAC) and the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems’ “Check & Inject NY†Pilot Demonstration Program for the replacement of Epinephrine Auto Injectors.
An EpiPen® is the most common type of an emergency auto-injection device used to treat anaphylactic shock and severe allergic reactions. Over the last 12 years, the cost of an EpiPen has risen from $35 to more than $450 per pen. This has resulted in tremendous cost increases for emergency medical service agencies, to stock this potentially life-saving, though infrequently used, device. Mohawk Ambulance Service carries four EpiPens in every ambulance, two in the adult dosage and two in the pediatric dosage at a cost of approximately $1800 per ambulance.
In an effort to reduce this expense while 
maintaining operational readiness, Mohawk Ambulance Service is participating in New York State’s “Check & Inject NY†demonstration project. The project, which is coordinated through the University of Rochester Medical Center, was launched through the extensive efforts of Dr. Michael Dailey, chief, Division of Prehospital and Operational Medicine and associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Albany Medical College.
“The ‘Check & Inject NY’ program is modeled on a very successful program implemented in Washington State. Based on their experiences, we expect that in New York our care for potentially ill anaphylaxis, patients with severe allergic reactions, will improve,†said Dr. Dailey. “Cost savings with very strict medical oversight is instrumental in continuing to advance the care for our EMS patients in New York. Mohawk Ambulance Service educators were a key to building this program and we are excited to have them as a partner.â€
Through the project, Mohawk Ambulance Service and more than 400 other agencies statewide have purchased Syringe Epinephrine Kits (SEK) which contain a vial of epinephrine and a specially designed syringe with adult and pediatric dose gradations clearly marked. These kits, combined with a training program, will allow ambulance service providers to replace the EpiPens. All Mohawk Ambulance Service EMTs have received additional training to participate in the program.
“We appreciate New York State and the physicians on the SEMAC for recognizing the challenge the cost of EpiPens presented and providing this project to address the issue,†said James P. McPartlon III, president, Mohawk Ambulance Service. “The kit makes it very clear for staff to provide the correct dose of the medication to patients and the training has helped us to easily integrate these devices into our scope of practice.â€
ALBANY, N.Y. – Mohawk Ambulance Service has updated its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) ambulance which is operated in conjunction with staff from Albany Medical Center. With a coverage range of 25 counties in New York and Western Massachusetts, the ambulance responded to its first call on April 6, 2016 and has since responded to more than 100 calls involving child and infant patients. “Ambulance 33†is the fifth ambulance purchased as part of a long-running collaborative project between Mohawk Ambulance Service and the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center.
The ambulance is equipped with a diesel engine and spacious interiors, which allows Albany Medical Center staff to more easily maneuver when treating patients. A Stealth Power smart-electric power system provides power to Albany Medical Center’s intricate on-board life support apparatuses, two medical grade air compressors to power breathing ventilators, and oxygen capacity to provide high-flow oxygen to a patient for nearly 24 hours. This system allows crews to turn off their engine while maintaining access to the power supply for up to six hours, in turn, reducing emissions.
“This ambulance offers sophisticated 
emergency care to our youngest patients when minutes matter most,†said David Clark, M.D., director of the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center. “With the latest electrical, medical and mechanical equipment, Mohawk Ambulance underscores its commitment to safely transporting the critically ill and injured babies and children of our region.â€
Albany Medical Center’s transport teams consist of specially trained nurses and respiratory therapists. These medical professionals travel with Mohawk Ambulance crew members to other hospitals within Albany Medical Center’s service area to pick up and transport critically ill young patients who require advanced care at the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center.
“The technology and equipment used to save lives changes frequently and we must constantly invest in our company’s fleet and the equipment our professionals use to provide the highest quality of emergency medical care to the patients we serve,†said James P. McPartlon, III, president, Mohawk Ambulance Service. “We are committed to saving lives and we will dedicate the resources necessary to provide the highest quality care and treatment to those who need and utilize our services.â€
Other features of the ambulance include a slide-out electric-hydraulic lift to assist in loading and unloading, an air-ride suspension system to provide a gentler ride and chains that can be added to the tires with the flip of a switch in the event of inclement weather.
About the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center:
The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center is a 56-bassinet unit that serves as a Level IV referral center for a 25-county service area, providing the highest level of treatment for neonates as part of the Regional Perinatal Center. The 19-room pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is the only one of its kind in the region.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Mohawk Ambulance Service is pleased to announce the promotion of two employees to senior leadership positions. David Gardner has been promoted to assistant director of operations and Nathanael Hakes has been promoted to assistant director of communications.
Gardner has more than 22 years of experience in emergency services. He joined Mohawk Ambulance in 2011 and quickly moved up the ranks, serving as an EMT, supervisor, station leader, and most recently, regional manager. In his new role, he will be responsible for planning, organizing, and providing administrative direction to all Mohawk Ambulance EMTs and Paramedics, and will implement and enforce all policies, procedures, and standards.
Prior to joining Mohawk Ambulance, Gardner worked as an EMT at Empire Ambulance in Troy, and was with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a Public Safety Officer and Sergeant. He served with the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department as a communications officer responsible for emergency and non-emergency call taking and dispatching police, fire and EMS for Saratoga County. Gardner also worked for ten years as a dispatcher for the Town of Waterford Police Department and previously worked as a part-time police officer for the Villages of Ballston Spa, Corinth and the New York State Park Police.
A native of the Town of Waterford, Gardner has been a dedicated volunteer firefighter in the Northside Fire District in the Town of Waterford since 1991. He has proudly served as a volunteer, holding every position in the fire service from firefighter, lieutenant and captain to assistant chief and chief. A vital part of the team, his dedication and commitment to providing excellent service earned him Mohawk Ambulance Services’ Distinguished Service Award in 2013 and 2014.
Hakes joined Mohawk Ambulance Service in 2002 as a part-time EMT, becoming full-time in 2004. He pursued a position in the communications department in 2006 and earned promotions to communications supervisor, communications chief supervisor and, in 2011, communications department manager. In his new role as assistant director of communications, he will oversee the dispatch/communications center, manage and maintain all the communications equipment in the communications center and in all vehicles, and manage and maintain the electronic Patient Care Reports (ePCR) program.
An interest in emergency services led Hakes to become a volunteer firefighter in 1998 at the Beukendaal Fire Department in Glenville, where he volunteered until 2006. His interest broadened to the medical side leading him to enroll in an EMT class at Schenectady Community College and become a certified EMT in 2002. In addition to working at Mohawk Ambulance as an EMT, he concurrently worked for Ravena Rescue Squad as an EMT/Driver.
A Glenville native, Hakes currently resides in Broadalbin. His dedication and commitment to his work earned him the Mohawk Ambulance Services’ Distinguished Service Award in 2008.
“David and Nathanial are dedicated professionals on our team who are richly deserving of their promotions,†said James P. McPartlon, III, president, Mohawk Ambulance Service. “They have each demonstrated excellent leadership and judgement qualities in their careers with us and we’re proud to have them taking on more responsibility by accepting leadership roles as Mohawk Ambulance continues to grow.â€