Monroe selected as county's

‘Ambulance Corps of the Year’ Monroe - The Orange County EMS Council has named Monroe Volunteer Ambulance as the “Ambulance Corp of the Year for 2006.” The council cited Monroe for its innovation in establishing a certified low-angle rope and rescue team and a wilderness search and rescue team, which are services that are offered countywide during emergencies, as well as for continuing its youth helmet safety program and its senior care ALS program. “We are always thinking of ways to improve emergency medical services to our community,” said Captain Rich Lenahan. “We have a couple of new and innovative ideas that we are working on that, we think, will surprise everyone.” Monroe Ambulance has about 30 members who pride themselves on being one of the most progressive volunteer emergency services in the county, Lenahan said. Currently, they are in the process of converting a 15-passenger bus into a rescue vehicle for their specialty teams and erecting an 8,500-square-foot building that will be their new quarters. “As our community grows by leaps and bounds, so must we,” Lenahan added. Monroe Ambulance answers approximately 1,100 calls for Emergency Medical Services annually and its 15-member rope and wilderness rescue team has been called out several times to assist within the county. The team was formed to provide quality emergency medical care quickly to people in hard to access areas that are off road. This team also is trained to bring a patient up from a steep embankment utilizing a Stokes basket with rigging gear. The rope and rescue search team was used during an accident on Route 17W last year when first-responders initially thought a child may have been thrown from a vehicle down an embankment too steep to walk. The rope and rescue team was able to quickly determine that the report was unfounded. As part of the council’s award, Monroe Ambulance also received “Certificates of Excellence” for its Quality Medical Care and dedication to the Monroe community from the area’s state and county leaders. More information about the group is available by e-mail at info@monroeems.org, by mail at P.O. Box 841, Monroe, N.Y. 10949, or by leaving a message at 845-774-3599.