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Tag: Cutback

  • New ambulance service for Montgomery County

    New ambulance service for Montgomery County

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    MONTGOMERY COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — One Capital Region County is getting a new ambulance service after cutbacks forced law enforcement to pick up the slack. NEWS10 has the latest on the service that just kicked off on Monday.

    “Really it’s all about patient care and getting an ambulance to somebody who needs it in a timely manner,” said Sergeant Justin Smith with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

    Smith will oversee the sheriff’s office EMS division. He tells NEWS10 that it took nearly three years of planning to get to this point.

    “It’s been a long process so it’s kind of a Bittersweet moment here today we’ll see where this takes us. We built this from the ground up and we want to build it the right way,” said Smith.

    The county saw cutbacks in the industry after volunteer ambulances began to shutter. They relied on just a few companies to maintain EMS service.

    Within a couple of hours, the ambulance is already in use. Our cameras were rolling when the ambulance went on its first call, a non-emergency transport of a patient to St. Mary’s Hospital.

    Amsterdam Fire Chief Anthony Agresta says Monday was the perfect example of why this ambulance is needed. “We were in a situation where one of our two ambulances is out of service,” said Agresta.

    The county hired 16 people to staff the ambulance, two of them full-time. Two of them spoke to NEWS10 on their first day on the job. They tell me they live in the communities they serve and have seen the need for more ambulances.

    “It’s definitely a nice way to impact the community I live in,” said EMT Anne Clouthier.

    “It will be great to have improved EMS coverage in the county,” said EMT Michael Kent.

    Montgomery County Executive Matthew Ossenfort praises the Sheriff’s Office for the new service. “Today the real exciting part is we’re getting off the ground, we got it started and we’re here to supplement and work with providers who are already here,” said Ossenfort.

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    James De La Fuente

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  • A Restless Christmas Ahead As UK Consumers Plan To Cut Spending

    A Restless Christmas Ahead As UK Consumers Plan To Cut Spending

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    As new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attempts to pick up the pieces from outgoing PM Liz Truss’s budget chaos which announced tax rises and major public spending cuts, the scene is set for yet another unusual Christmas buying period in the UK.

    2020 was the Christmas of Isolation as families remained apart from loved ones and the UK plunged into another lockdown.

    2021 was the Christmas of Confusion. Despite people making big plans to undo the sorrow of the year before and travel generally making a comeback, the Omicron variant saw many cut back on their plans.

    Households vowed on New Years Eve 2021 that 2022 would be different. It has been, but it has not proved to be the year that we expected.

    February of this year marked the major escalation of the Russia’s continuing war on the Ukraine ; the International Monetary Fund foresaw a ‘gloomy’ economic situation by July. As we edge towards November, millions of households are considering how to pay basic bills after fuel, food, rent and mortgages have seen record increases and the value of savings and pensions have plummeted.

    Retailers were hoping for a celebratory mood in consumers wanting to spend, spend, spend after years of constant challenge. The reality is the indication that consumers will cutting back significantly on Christmas spend, simply to be able to survive what many cite as the most challenging year yet.

    Research from YouGov indicates 60% of shoppers will spend less than usual on Christmas this year, which compares starkly to the mere 2% who stated they will spend more.

    Less than a third (28%) are predicting that they will enjoy a ‘normal’ Christmas, rising to 36% amongst the over 65’s.

    The numbers also make for stark reading when considering the country’s deepening isolation crisis. One third of adults say they’ll cut back on family gatherings, trips to theatres and Christmas markets (33%). 21% will step back from travel plans to family and friends.

    It isn’t just the social aspect of Christmas that may be different this year. A third of Britons (33%) say they will reduce food expenditure, and half (51%) of Britons are planning to cut the amount they spend on gifts.

    Sadly even gifting for children looks to be also an area that will be impacted as 55% of parents with children under 10 confirm that they will have to spend less on presents.

    The impact of reduced spend could be felt by charities too as the survey predicts that more than a fifth of adults (22%) will limit the amount they donate to charities as they continue to battle the rising cost of living.

    2022 may prove to be the Christmas of Desperate Times for many and the focus will be fixed on 10 Downing Street and the new UK Prime Minister’s next moves. Can a Christmas miracle be delivered reassuring households that this year might not be as bleak as feared? And what will be the reality of Christmas Future? Will December 2023 see the nation enjoying a festive holiday just like the ones they used to know?

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    Kate Hardcastle, Contributor

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