Another Buffalo Community Is Starting It’s Own Ambulance Service

As the complaints of taxpayers and residents of Western New York continue to build, another municipality in the 716 is looking to change emergency medical services.

Last year, in 2023, the City of Lockport restarted its ambulance service as residents of the  Niagara County city felt they weren't being serviced properly. Then, just a few months ago, Erie County announced that it was starting its own ambulance service to provide better services to the county's outlying areas, especially as response times were becoming unmanageable to ensure safety for county residents. Shortly after that, officials from Buffalo announced they were studying the idea of starting its service that would become part of the Buffalo Fire Department.

Now, the Town of Tonawanda is the latest in a long list of local governments who are starting their services.

READ MORE: Buffalo Owed Millions In Fees From Ambulance Service

According to the Buffalo News, town officials are looking to start its ambulance service due to the poor service that town residents are receiving from the current ambulance service provider, Twin City Ambulance.

It's been noted that sometimes an ambulance takes more than an hour to respond to a motor vehicle accident or other emergency, and given those times, members of the town government feel they could do a better job if the services were brought in-house.

The town of Tonawanda, which already employs 16 paramedics, would hire up to 20 more paramedics and purchase or lease four ambulances to start up the service.

Even after start-up costs and fees, town officials think the service could not only increase service quality and response times but also add as much as $1 million to town coffers, as the town would be able to charge insurance companies for ambulance services.

If everything goes according to plan, the town of Tonawanda ambulance service will be up and running in early 2025.