The towns of Columbus and New Berlin plan to join the village of New Berlin in offering ambulance service for the three municipalities, New Berlin Mayor Carol Riley said Friday.
The move comes months after Superior Ambulance Service Inc. stopped providing coverage in Chenango County.
Cooperstown Medical Transport has been serving the county, but local officials believe they need an ambulance based in the New Berlin area, Riley said.
The mayor said she formed a committee that included New Berlin town Supervisor Ross Iannello, Columbus town Supervisor George Coates and New Berlin Fire Chief George Hanslmaier.
The committee decided area residents would be well-served by having an ambulance based at the New Berlin Fire Department, she said.
The municipalities are now arranging to purchase an ambulance for $129,000, Riley said. The service is slated to cost about $35,000 a year to operate, plus $5,000 for supplies and $3,000 for incidental expenses.
"It's a lot of money, but we need the service and by working together, we can split the cost three ways,'' Riley said.
The mayor said the committee will be kept intact to oversee the operation of the ambulance service, and the ambulance should arrive in about five weeks.
Riley said she plans to contact large employers in the area, including the Preferred Mutual Insurance Co. and Golden Artists Colors, to make sure that their employees will be able to serve as emergency medical service volunteers when the need arises.
The village of New Berlin currently operates a first-responder team that helps stabilize patients, but does not transport them to hospitals.
Iannello and Coates could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
