- Union Volunteer Emergency Squad
Infobox Ambulance Company
name = Union Volunteer Emergency Squad Inc.
motto = "Providing exemplary emergency medical services with care & compassion, since 1972."
established = 1972
headquarters = Endwell, NY
jurisdiction = Town of Union, NY (Endicott, Endwell, Johnson City, Union Center)
staff type = Full-time, Part-time, Volunteer
employees = 30
BLS or ALS = ALS
ambulances = 10 Type-III
helicopters = None
chief = Stacey Kopcho
commissioner = Dennis Sweeny
director = Jim Lane
medicaldirector = T. Sacco, DO
revenue = 2m
responses = 9000 +
website = http://www.unionems.com/ [http://www.unionems.com]History
In 1972 the Town of Union (TOU) residents recognized a need for emergency medical services and ambulance transport. A building was obtained at Hooper Road School on Main Street in Endwell, and the ambulance squad was placed in the basement. In 1973 Union Volunteer Emergency Squad (UVES) was established as an all volunteer service and responded to there first call on June 1, 1973. Over the next 2 years, UVES established itself and became a training center for Broome County and helped to establish other ambulance services. [http://vestalems.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=15] In 1975 West Endicott dissolved it ambulance service and was merged with UVES. In the same year, Johnson City Fire Department requested UVES help with establishing their ambulance and UVES help purchase there 1st ambulance.http://unionems.com/history.htm]
As UVES developed and grew from a BLS ambulance it acquired a cardiac monitor, with help from United Health Services and soon became a designated "Heart Mobile" ambulance staffed with "Cardiac Care" Techs (specialized EMT's). ALS response was started at the start of June, 1975.From 1975-1983 the facilities remained and responses were from the Hooper Rd, station until 1983 when the TOU acquired a building and a new 'Central Station' on Avenue B in Endwell, NY and was soon dedicated later in the year. As UVES call and response volume increased several more station were acquired to help spread resources over the TOU response district. In 1987 a property already owned by the TOU was donated to UVES at Maple Street in Endicott, and it was soon converted from a house into a station were ambulances and squad members could be stationed. Several response headquarters were located in Johnson City, NY and finally in 2000 a single building was deemed "Panko Station" (named after Nick Panko for his efforts) which housed additonal ambulances and squad members. Out of these three station the entirely volunteer squad responsed to a rising call volume of 3,000 calls a year.
As call volume again increased exponentially for UVES ambulance services, and in 1992 hired a director of operations who established a third-party billing system. After the billing system was established extra resources were available and 4 full-time compensated members were hired to help full-fill the ever increasing demand. Later that year and to this date, UVES provides on-duty EMS coverage 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Until 2003, UVES was operated entirely from the revenue generated from the third-party billing. In fall of 2003, the TOU presented to the residence and passed legislation that allowed for a tax district to support ambulance http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:tiCmUkR2oT4J:www.nysvara.org/blanket/summer2004.pdf+%22Town+of+Union%22+and+UVES&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&client=firefox-a] . Later in the year in 2003 UVES ventured into new territory and started to provide 'non' emergency transport services for health care services through out Broome County. New vehicles and employees helped with this venture and is still evolving to this date. Both the tax district that was established along with the new transports helped with the every increase demand on the 911 system in the TOU.
In 2004 to help with billing, UVES set out on another venture and formed PreHospital Billing Solutions (PHBS). This is currently UVES billing company helping to find a balance between patient care and the expense of the care.
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