Town Reveals Report on Huntington Community First Aid Squad

The Town of Huntington released a report on Thursday that analyzed the Huntington Community First Aid Squad and revealed findings on how the emergency medical service can improve.

The reveal of this report comes after the news that the Huntington Community First Aid Squad will receive a 15 percent budget cut in 2016. This news is something that does not sit well with HCFAS members and residents.

Medic Health of Austin, Texas, conducted the report in July 2014 at the request of five fire departments in the Town, who claim that there was an increase in mutual aid requests from the First Aid Squad that had been taxing their resources.

According to the Town, the increase in mutual aid requests had created “an undue burden for the adjoining fire/EMS organizations that are already responding to additional service requests from within their respective jurisdictions.”

Read the full report here.

The HCFAS had pleaded with the board after the Town announced a plan to cut their squad’s budget by $280,000 in 2016.

The all volunteer emergency medical service, which has served the community for 50 years, says its members rely on Town funding to ensure that every member of the community has access to medical care during emergencies and times of need.

From the HCFAS Fan Page on Facebook:

“This budget cut is coming at a time of rapidly increasing costs and call volume as the population we serve continues to grow. In fact, HCFAS is the second busiest EMS agency in Suffolk County, and the only remaining all-volunteer ambulance service on Long Island.”

HCFAS reportedly responds to nearly 6,000 calls every year. A Petition page was created to help the squad restore their funds.

A message from First Deputy Chief Dominic Heavey:

Image via Screenshot