Introducing Civic Ambassadors Funding Facts

Each week, the civic ambassadors at Bard follow and report on a new topic surrounding local and state funding. This week's funding fact:

Dutchess County Investing $2 Million In Emergency Medical Services

In May 2025, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino announced a $2 million investment in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The investment was launched in partnership with municipalities to create “a supplemental ambulance coverage program to enhance EMS response and reliability.” The EMS’s mounting failures are driven by declining volunteerism, as aging members and demanding training requirements shrink the pool of responders; rising costs, which force towns to rely on expensive paid staff and equipment upgrades; and poor insurance reimbursement, with Medicaid and private insurers often covering only a fraction of emergency care costs, according to The New Pine Plains Herald. Part of the $2 million will go towards recruiting people and working with current EMS employees to implement “first responder resiliency training, including a peer-to-peer support network for the mental and emotional well-being of first responders.”

Post Date: 09-26-2025