EMS Pioneers

In its infancy, pre-hospital medical transportation was provided by local funeral homes with attendants having minimal training.  The primary focus was prompt removal of the sick and injured to an emergency room.

In 1964 Erway Ambulance Service was recognized by the Chemung County Medical Society for requiring all attendants and drivers to hold a Red Cross Advanced First Aid card.  Three years later this became mandatory for all Emergency Medical Technicians in New York State.

The Shockmobile Concept.  Even with Red Cross Training, ambulance attendants felt they did not have the proper equipment to adequately treat patients.  They lacked proper monitoring and resuscitation devices that, at the time, could only be found in hospital emergency rooms.  The innovative answer to these problems was a bus type vehicle which would be large enough to house all of the necessary equipment – a Mobile ER.  A system then had to be designed whereby ER doctors could supervise the diagnosis and treatment of patients by appropriately trained ambulance attendants.  This could be accomplished with radio communications and monitoring devices.

In 1970, Erway became the first ambulance service to operate a Shockmobile.  Dr. William Nowill and his staff set up an extensive training program for the Erway attendants. 

Many ambulance services around the country looked to Erway Ambulance Service and our Medical Director, Dr. Nowill, for advice in implementing their own Advance Life Support EMS Systems. 

In the early 1990’s, again in advance of the national trend, Erway Ambulance encouraged their crews to upgrade from Critical Care Technicians to Paramedics.  Paramedic certification requires a minimum of 1,200 hours of training beyond the training required to become an EMT.  Continuing education is vital to our Paramedics to stay current with new and upcoming procedures.  At this time the majority of our Paramedics are also Nationally Registered.

The 12-Lead Electrocardiogram (EKG) is another technological advance in pre-hospital emergency care.  It is a cardiac monitor that records the electrical impulses that occur just before your heart beats.  Erway Ambulance Service became one of the first services in the state to use the 12-lead EKG while participating in a pilot program sponsored by the NYS Department of Health.  This cardiac monitor is considered crucial to pre-hospital evaluation of a heart attack because it lessens the time to make a diagnosis.  Studies have shown that transmission of the 12-Lead EKG readings shorten the time it takes to initiate treatment by 20 minutes.  This time savings is critical as therapy is most effective when started within 70 minutes of diagnosis.