More to the story

To the editor: As officers of the Upper Greenwood Lake Volunteer Ambulance Corps, we would like to clarify statements made regarding the flat tire and fire to our ambulance on a recent non-emergency call to Hackensack Hospital. Our first priority has always been the safety of our patients and responding crew members. Had Mr. Elvacage’s decision been to stop and pull over, an ambulance from a neighboring town could have responded within minutes without causing further damage and endangering everyone on board. The ambulance is not to be driven with a flat tire. The reason there are four tires at the back of the ambulance is to evenly distribute the weight of the box and help in controlling the ambulance should a flat tire occur. Mr. Elcavage’s decision to continue to drive to the hospital with a flat tire at highway speeds only jeopardized the safety of everyone. The damage caused was in excess of $6,000 as opposed to a few hundred dollars for a new tire. Our ambulance has now been out of service for several weeks, instead of a few hours. It was the decision of our captain, not the body of the corps, to suspend only the driving privileges of Mr. Elcavage for 30 days rather than suspend him from all corps duty. Our apologies to our patient and as always, our number one priority will continue to be the safety of our patients and crew members on all emergency and non-emergency calls. Eileen Casbarro, President Timothy Fedyshyn, Captain Ellen Danizik, Trustee