MASSENA – The 50th Anniversary of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week is being celebrated this month, and members of St. Lawrence Health’s Seaway Valley Ambulance (SVA) team are embracing the theme of “Honoring our past. Forging our future.”

 “The idea of honoring the past of EMS is important, as this is an industry that has significant pride,” stated SLH Director of Emergency Medical Services Mark Deavers. “For many years, St. Lawrence County, as well as much of rural America, has had an EMS system that was comprised of dedicated volunteers. However, for many reasons volunteer participation has significantly decreased across the country. SLH’s investment in EMS is a pathway to forging our future at Seaway Valley Ambulance.”

While SLH has greatly enhanced the squad, additional resources continue to be invested. Three ambulances have been purchased to update the aging fleet, and upgrades to the organization’s buildings have already been realized. During the month of May, two Seaway Valley ambulances will be outfitted with a bariatric system, giving the organization the only true bariatric ambulances throughout St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Lewis counties.

“The system has further made an investment in our team members, as we have nearly doubled our workforce, and we look forward to continue building our team and supporting them,” Deavers said.

SVA has an impressive presence in the North Country and responds to approximately 1,800 requests for service annually. On average, 500 are 911 calls, and the organization is becoming an integral part of the 911 response system.

Even though SVA is seeing positive growth with new team members, EMS across the entire country are struggling with financial issues and workforce decline, and St. Lawrence County is not immune from those same struggles. In an effort to combat this, SLH has partnered with Clarkson University’s Lewis School of Health Sciences to increase the number of EMT’s and paramedics in the area.

“St. Lawrence Health would like to recognize not only the dedicated team members of Seaway Valley Ambulance, but all the EMS providers in St. Lawrence County, New York State, and across the country for the dedicated work that they do,” Deavers said.

“EMS providers are among the very few people invited into someone’s home during their time of greatest need. These trusted and necessary healthcare members routinely provide lifesaving care to patients everyday across the nation. We are excited to be part of forging the path forward for EMS,” he added.

Currently across St. Lawrence County there are between half and two-thirds of the EMS providers available to meet the population’s needs. For anyone considering becoming an EMS member, basics to consider include:

• You must be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Squad drivers need a valid New York State license
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) provide patient care with such skills as patient assessment, vitals, limited medications, and trauma management
• Paramedics provide EMT service in addition to more advanced patient care, which include IV access, advanced airway, and advanced medications for treatment of respiratory, cardiac, traumatic, and many other emergencies.

For information on becoming a member of the Seaway Valley Ambulance team, call 315- 764-9133, or email Deavers at mark.deavers@rochesterregional.org or SVA Operations Manager Chris Miller at christopher.miller@rochesterregional.org.