Ramapo Valley Ambulance Corps Warned to Keep Silent on Overdue Funds

When Ramapo Valley Ambulance Corps President Carol Demont saw PPE supplies running low and funding from the town of Ramapo drying up, she engaged an attorney to help the Corps collect money that it said should have come to the agency through the Federal CARES Act. “Follow the money,” pleaded an anguished Demont to NBCNews4 on Monday after the media outlet travelled to Rockland to check out her concerns. NBCNews4 also made an attempt to contact Ramapo officials at town hall to learn of the disposition of funds RVAC said were overdue.

An unidentified employee of the town later responded to NBC that it processed a payment for four months of service, adding that Federal funding in the amount of $16,000 is available to RVAC once it files the proper paperwork. Demont’s call and subsequent visit by the media to Town Hall-which is right next door to the Ambulance Corps— prompted a second, less cordial, response from the town.

Once the cameras and news crew had gone, an email from an unidentified person in the Town issued gave notice to RVAC’s attorney: “This email is to request you contact your client and advise them to cease spreading false information and attempting to cause public fear…at this point in time, the Town is strongly considering removing RVAC from its future plans and providing this territory to other Ambulance Corps who are better equipped and staffed to serve the public. RVAC is not doing itself any favors by engaging in fear mongering through the spread of false information. If you desire personally to save your client’s future, now is the time.”

The Rockland County Times attempted to contact Ms. Demont at RVAC’s general number and left a message with an Adrian. An attempt to contact the Town of Ramapo’s attorney, Itamar Yeger, was met with instructions to contact him by e-mail. Neither Demont or Yeger responded to requests for comment on her complaint.