08/19/2026
A message from our Chief. Ulster County and the municipalities within it have made great strides in recent years to strengthen our EMS system, but we still have a lot of work to do.
Take a few minutes to watch this video and really think about the idea of calling 911—and nobody coming.
Like Dr. Dailey, this issue is personal for me.
Years ago, I listened as multiple ambulance agencies were dispatched again and again for my grandmother, who was in cardiac arrest in Gardiner. Local volunteer first responders were there performing CPR and doing everything they could, but an ambulance was not available nearby. Ultimately, we waited for an ambulance to respond all the way from Poughkeepsie to Gardiner.
For a period of time after that day, I found fault in what happened. I was already deeply involved in EMS and understood many of the challenges facing the system, but when it is your own family and you are listening to the radio waiting for an ambulance that isn’t coming, it is difficult not to be frustrated and look for someone to blame.
Eventually, I realized that finding fault wasn’t going to change what happened—or prevent it from happening to another family. The volunteers who responded were doing everything they could, with the best of intentions and care. The problem was bigger than any one provider, agency, or municipality.
That experience has stayed with me, and a lot of what I do today is because of it.
Over the last several years, I have seen firsthand what can happen when EMS agencies, municipalities, county government, elected officials, career providers, and volunteers work together instead of independently. Ulster County has made tremendous progress, and that progress deserves to be recognized. But we cannot mistake progress for completion.
There is still work to do.
When someone calls 911, they shouldn't have to wonder whether an ambulance is coming. Where they live, what time of day it is, or which agency happens to be available should not determine whether help arrives.
This is not about blaming volunteers, individual agencies, municipalities, or elected officials. It is about recognizing that the EMS system has changed, the demands placed upon it have changed, and we have a responsibility to continue changing with them.
EMS is an essential part of public safety. Our communities depend on us to continue building a sustainable system that makes sure that when someone calls for help, someone comes.
For me, that isn't an abstract policy discussion.
It's personal. It should be for you too.
Chief Goodnow
https://ballstonlakeems.org/essential/What happens when you call ...
