Residents and volunteers urge Fishkill to preserve Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps as town weighs $500,000 request

Members of the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BVAC) and many Fishkill residents urged the Town Board to keep the volunteer ambulance service after BVAC leaders presented a written funding proposal and described operational changes at a board meeting. BVAC deputy chief Brett Lesniak told the board the organization remains committed to serving Fishkill and that the agency has added paid staff and advanced-life-support capabilities to meet growing demand; he said the group still relies on volunteers and public support (Brett Lesniak). Residents gave multiple personal testimonials about life‑saving responses and local follow-up care provided by BVAC volunteers, including a stroke response and repeated emergency calls for the same patient that neighbors said built familiarity and trust among caregivers (John Anthony Bruno; Matthew Molina).

BVAC’s leadership presented figures the town described as a formal proposal: BVAC requested $500,000 to cover service for three fire-district areas (Glenn, Chelsea and Duchess Junction) that historically had not been charged for ambulance coverage. Supervisor Albra said the town currently pays roughly $190,000 annual contract for the Roundout Ambulance District (about 60% of the town); the private provider Empress offered to cover the entire town for about $400,000 a year, while BVAC told the town it needed $500,000 to cover the three remaining districts (Supervisor Albra; BVAC leadership).

Board members said they were sympathetic but cautious about fiscal impacts and the practicalities of creating a second ambulance district or changing tax structures. Several members urged BVAC to revisit its proposal and return with a more detailed, financially feasible plan. Town attorney and staff walked through options for extending the existing ambulance district or creating a new district, including the possibility of a permissive referendum if the town sought voter approval; they also described deadlines and procedural steps for petitions and extensions (Mr. Nent). Supervisor Albra asked BVAC to rework the request and agreed to continue discussions with county and state partners to identify alternatives.

The board did not adopt any immediate funding measure at the meeting. Instead, members asked BVAC and town staff to hold further talks to explore blended solutions — including revised BVAC proposals, contracts with a commercial provider, or a district-expansion path — with the goal of preserving service while balancing taxpayer costs.

What’s next: Town staff will provide legal and administrative guidance on how to extend or modify ambulance districts, and BVAC said it will return to the town with revised financial proposals for further negotiation. The board encouraged continued public engagement before any vote.