Who responds to Harrisville area ambulance calls? Two local officials are open to working together for protecting residents

LEWIS COUNTY- It has been several months since Harrisville, NY has had an ambulance squad, but who is responsible now for handling emergency calls?

According to the latest from WWNY-TV, two separate ambulance squads claim they should have coverage right of way. One of them is Lewis County Search & Rescue and the other is Natural Bridge.

Despite being about a half-hour drive away, Josh Levesque, Chief of Operations for LCSR, says they have the responsibility for covering Harrisville because the original Certificate of Need was supposed to be transferred to Natural Bridge, but it apparently never happened and this past March was the deadline.

A Certificate of Need is legally binding and protects the rights of ambulance companies in certain coverage zones, but Jason O’Meara, of Natural Bridge Ambulance, says surrounding towns, villages and fire departments all agreed that Natural Bridge would take over after Harrisville dissolved.

In terms of distance, Natural Bridge is only about a 15-minute drive. O’Meara told reporters that he was under the impression that the Certificate of Need had been officially transferred, but was surprised to hear that Natural Bridge was not being dispatched to the Harrisville area.

So what happens now? Well, according to both Levesque and O’Meara, they are open to working together to ensure coverage.

For now, it is reported that LCSR will try and enter into mutual aid agreements with nearby squads, including Natural Bridge. Meanwhile, Natural Bridge will continue responding to calls while working to get its own Certificate of Need.

Generic ambulance image.