09/15/2026
The Alden Fire Department has been made aware of the announcement from Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps (LVAC) that, effective September 16th at midnight, they will no longer be providing paramedic ambulance coverage to the Town and Village of Alden.
LVAC has provided paramedic ambulance coverage to our community for approximately 10 years. We appreciate the service they have provided to the residents of Alden during that time.
This is a very unfortunate situation, and we hope that a resolution can be reached quickly.
The Alden Fire Department is the only fire department in the Town of Alden that has an ambulance in its fleet. With the situation changing after September 16th, our members will do everything we can to help pick up the slack and provide ambulance coverage to our community.
I do want to make it clear, however, that the Alden Fire Department is a completely volunteer organization. We have a small group of EMTs who are willing to give up their time to respond to calls and transport our residents. These members also have full-time jobs, families, and responsibilities outside of the fire department.
Our members are committed to doing the best they can and answering as many calls as possible, but there are going to be limitations to what a small volunteer department can provide. We simply cannot guarantee that we will have an ambulance available for every call.
We will continue to do everything within our ability to serve the residents of Alden and help our neighboring emergency service agencies during this difficult time.
At this point, we also await information from the Town of Alden regarding what their plans are for ambulance and paramedic coverage after September 16th. We believe our residents deserve reliable emergency medical services, and we hope a solution can be put in place quickly.
Our members are ready to step up and help our community however we can. We just ask that everyone understands that our firefighters and EMTs are volunteers who are balancing their commitment to the department with their jobs and families.
We appreciate the support of our community and will continue to do our best to serve the residents of Alden.
Bryce Gossel
Fire Chief
Alden Fire Department
Lancaster, NY – September 15, 2026 – Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps (LVAC) announces that its service as the contracted ambulance provider for the Town of Alden will end this week.
For the past nine months, LVAC has been engaged in negotiations with the Town of Alden regarding the continued provision of emergency medical services to the Alden community.
Last evening, LVAC was informed by the Town that it has decided to sign a contract with a new emergency medical services provider beginning January 1, 2027.
LVAC’s current contract with the Town of Alden expires at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Effective at midnight on Thursday, September 17, 2026, Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps will no longer provide ambulance coverage to the Town of Alden.
While we respect the Town’s right to replace their dedicated service with another company, we caution residents that this may not be the same level of reliability as they have experienced with LVAC. The Town should not expect that LVAC is able to fill the gaps in coverage, as the Town has not contracted with LVAC to do so. Mutual aid coming from far outside the Town may fill some of the gaps, but LVAC is no longer obligated to staff the same number of ambulances as it did when it served your Town. We are concerned for your safety, but trust that the Town Board has made a choice in your best interest.
LVAC has proudly served as the Town of Alden’s contracted ambulance provider since 2016. For the past ten years, our paramedics and EMTs have responded when members of the Alden community needed help, often during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
We are grateful for the trust Alden residents have placed in our organization and our providers over the past decade. We are equally grateful to the LVAC employees and members who have served the community with professionalism, compassion, and dedication.
While our time as Alden’s contracted ambulance provider is coming to an end, we remain proud of the service we have provided and the relationships we have built within the community.
To the residents of Alden, thank you for allowing Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps to serve your community for the past ten years. It has truly been our privilege.
