Thousand Islands Rescue

Our Story

No one really likes asking anyone for money, but our mission is to provide Paramedic-level response, the highest quality pre-hospital care, around the clock, wherever and whenever we are called. We're proud of our people, our training and preparation, our community involvement and our success.

At only five years old, TIERS was selected as The New York State EMS Agency Of The Year by the New York State Department of Health.

This type of dedication requires a huge investment of resources. Like every other area of health care, costs for everything--ambulances, supplies, medicines and oxygen, equipment, fuel, insurance and every other item in our budget--is rising. Many items are simply not a choice, but are

requirements of state and federal agencies.

As a non-fire department EMS service, TIERS sends patients a bill for ambulance service. The fees for ambulance service are typically based on prevailing Medicare rates* and are adjusted to cover other operating costs but--as anyone who deals with Medicare, Medicaid and insurance companies knows--payments to health care providers often don't cover the entire billed amounts

or the actual cost of providing the services.

Needed: Your Lasting Support For TIERS

TIERS has always--and will always--need your financial donations to meet the demands that present themselves to us. Financial support is essential. Our existence is a partnership with everyone: full-time and summer-only residents, businesses, civic organizations and governments.

Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation which makes your donations tax-deductible, and allows many ways for you to donate investment income, securities, trust assets, donation of vehicles, real estate or other items that can be used or converted to cash, bequests, etc. You are urged to consult a qualified attorney, accountant, financial or estate planner to explore your options.

In addition to events organized by our loyal fundraising committee, we have many community, social and other groups conduct fundraisers on our behalf. If you have an idea for a fundraiser, please call us for help and ideas.

You are always welcome to visit TIERS and see what we do and how we do it. Or click on the link below to join us as a volunteer--no experience is needed, and you don't have to be a resident of the towns of Clayton or Orleans (find out more here).

Thousand Islands Rescue Online Membership Application

You Can Help Us In Albany, Too

In July, 2008, The Office of General Counsel of the New York State Insurance Department issued an opinion that forced all ambulance services in New York to cease selling "membership or subscription plans" that provided substantial income for hundreds of not-for-profit EMS agencies (see http://www.ins.state.ny.us/ogco2008/rg080730.htm for the ruling), including TIERS. The discontinuation of our former SafeGuard program is just another challenge in establishing a meaningful budget and meeting its goals.

The New York State Senate is currently studying a bill ("S6917-2009: Relates to ambulance subscription or membership programs"), to create an exemption to NYS insurance law for voluntary ambulance services to resume subscription programs. Your letters and calls to your state legislator in support of this bill is vital to its success in becoming law.

Thank you!

*Medicare has a base amount they'll pay for services; rural agencies like TIERS are allowed a small amount over urban ambulance services to allow for more fuel, vehicle costs and payroll hours. Every agency can add their typical "cost of readiness" onto the Medicare base amount to recoup as much of the agency's expenses as possible. TIERS’ rate and fee schedule is very reasonable and customary for our area.

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