NORWICH – The fly car system is a proven success throughout New York state and a good start toward solving the county’s ambulance shortage, an experienced emergency medical official told the City of Norwich Common Council Tuesday.

Dr. Scott Cohen, the medical director of the county Department of Health and a physician on the city’s emergency medical squad, also told the council the fly car would eventually relieve some of the burden placed on Norwich’s EMS crew to handle an influx of calls after Superior Ambulance, a private company, cut back its coverage in the county in January.

“The fly car has been proven throughout the state,” said Cohen, who vouched for the program based on his experience as an EMS provider in the Albany area. “I think it’s a great start, and everyone involved realizes – this is just a start.”

Under the fly car system, county-employed paramedics would drive to emergency calls throughout the 21 townships and staff ambulances from volunteer departments that have been called to the scene.

On paper, the fly car supplements the shortage of advanced life support and critical care paramedics within volunteer departments, but utilizes the equipment and manpower the departments still have.

There are 19 volunteer fire stations in Chenango County. Currently, only eight have working ambulances. However, four others have out-of-service rigs that could be quickly reinstated if the fly car program is implemented by the county Board of Supervisors, says county Fire Coordinator Matt Beckwith.

Alderman Robert Jeffrey asked how the fly car system would relieve the city if its ambulance is always the first one called out in the wake of Superior’s cutback.

“It seems like it’s becoming the norm,” said Jeffrey, who represents the 6th Ward.

“In a perfect world, under the mutual aid agreement, the closest provider to the scene will be called first,” responded Cohen, who admitted that hasn’t been the standard practice lately, using an example of Norwich being the first to a call in South Otselic, which has its own EMS squad.

“It’s almost muscle memory at this point,” said city fire and police Chief Joseph Angelino, referring to the county 911 dispatch center calling Norwich.

“That will change,” Cohen added. “That’s being fixed.”