Rockville Centre, NY - June 23, 2016 - Senator Todd Kaminsky wrote a letter to NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS Parks) Commissioner Rose Harvey urging the department to conduct an immediate and thorough review of medical coverage in and around Jones Beach State Park.
Last year, John Mullady, a Rockville Centre resident, was traveling on the Ocean Parkway on Jones Beach when he suffered a heart attack and died. It took a staggering 18 minutes for an ambulance to reach him as there is no permanent ambulance on the island past 7PM.
A private ambulance is located at the theater during events, but only responds to emergencies that occur at the venue.
“It is absolutely heartbreaking to me that this situation could be easily avoided if emergency medical service has been available at the state park during all hours,” said Kaminsky. “It is our role as government officials to ensure that these situations do not happen, and if they occur, to take steps to address and rectify the problem.”
Each year, Jones Beach State Park draws in thousands of visitors to its beaches, trails and theater. Despite the large amount of traffic Jones Beach sees on its roads during the summer months, an ambulance is only on call to the area between the hours of 7AM to 7PM, leaving a large gap in medical services during the evening hours and no emergency services between the theater and mainland. Life or death situations could easily be avoided if appropriate medical coverage was in and around the state park during all hours.
Senator Kaminsky's letter to NYS Parks Commissioner Harvey is below.
