Let Me Introduce: Delmar-Bethlehem EMS
Did you know that more than one hundred highly trained professionals provide emergency medical services in our community 24-7-365?
I am Steve Kroll, the Chief of Delmar-Bethlehem EMS. I moved to the Town of Bethlehem a little more than 20 years ago and joined the volunteer ambulance squad. Our ambulance squad is made up of volunteer and career certified Emergency Medical Technicians who staff ambulances based out of our stations in Delmar and Selkirk.
Many of our volunteers are community members like me who have put down family roots in our community. Tricia and I moved here before our first child was born and now have a 20-year-old daughter away at college and a 16-year-old son. In recent years Delmar-Bethlehem has seen growth in the number of volunteers who come to us from surrounding communities. Many of them are college students at local universities with an interest in careers in health care. They serve our community and gain valuable experience. Our volunteers provide more than 15,000 hours of service each year, lowering the cost of our EMS system by close to half a million dollars per year.
Our EMS clinicians complete hundreds of hours of training and are constantly refreshing their skills through continuing medical education. Our career and volunteer team members have the same training and professional standards to care for our community. If there is one thing that I try to impress on our EMS responders, it is kindness. We are neighbors helping neighbors, usually when someone is not having a good day. Compassionate caring is so important to everyone at Delmar-Bethlehem EMS.
Our unique partnership with the Albany County Sheriff's EMS unit brings the best care to our community. Both agencies have been recognized for their award-winning innovation in the delivery of ambulance service.
DBEMS appreciates the support that we receive from our community. Most of our budget comes from insurance payments for ambulance transportation and the tremendous support from the Town of Bethlehem Ambulance Taxing District, but we are most grateful for the $100,000 in contributions that we receive from community members during our annual fund drive. We spend our money efficiently and are a break-even operation. The support from community helps us do a little extra, like modernizing equipment and adding new training resources. You can learn more about us at www.delmarems.org or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DelmarBethEMS