New ambulance and emergency-response vehicle added in face of growing EMS controversy in northern villages
The Great Neck Vigilant Engine and Hook & Ladder Co., Inc., also known as the Vigilant Fire Company, recently unveiled two new state-of-the-art EMS vehicles—a paramedic response vehicle and an ambulance.
The addition of these vehicles is a proactive investment demonstrating Vigilant’s commitment to protecting Great Neck residents. As a community partner and the peninsula’s emergency care provider for 80 years, Vigilant Fire Company continues to invest in the newest advancements, equipment and technology that will aid the company in providing first-class emergency care.
“Our responsibility is to give everyone residing, working and visiting the Great Neck peninsula the best chance of living if a health emergency happens to strike,” said Josh Forst, chief of Vigilant Fire Company. “Increasing our fleet of emergency response vehicles will give the company a broader mobility to respond to multiple calls at once. Nearly 25 percent of our calls are dual-response calls, meaning within minutes of responding to one incident, we get a call regarding an additional emergency. These new vehicles will support in responding to those calls while aiming at decreasing the already low five-minute response time.”
Vigilant Fire Company now has two ambulances stationed on Cutter Mill Road and an ambulance stationed on Steamboat Road, with two emergency response vehicles servicing the peninsula north of the Long Island Rail Road. The newly acquired paramedic response vehicle is equipped with a cardiac monitor and advanced life-support systems, and will be staffed with one of Vigilant’s 18 New York State–certified paramedics who are trained at the highest level to perform emergency care.
“In recent weeks, the controversy regarding the potential shift in emergency response care has become a public matter of interest and concern,” said Forst. “Despite this, and our continual calls for clarity from local villages, we have never stopped prioritizing the safety and well-being of our families, neighbors and fellow community members. We are confident that our newest vehicles will make significant strides in developing a safer community for residents.”
Read “Packed Meeting Discusses Termination Of Vigilant,” “Kings Point Meets Tonight To Discuss Switch From Vigilant,” “Community Unanimously Supports Great Neck Vigilant” and “Kings Point Village Stands Unequivocally With Vigilant.”
