Senator Helming Announces Appointment of Syed Ahmed Mustafa to Rural Ambulance Services Task Force

Senator Pam Helming announces the appointment of Syed Ahmed Mustafa to the state’s Rural Ambulance Services Task Force. Mr. Mustafa serves as President and CEO of Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life Support (NEQALS), a Webster-based agency providing emergency medical services in Monroe, Wayne and Livingston counties.

As a result of legislation Senator Helming co-sponsored (S.3503-C), the task force was created to study and address the unique challenges faced by ambulance service providers in rural areas and make recommendations for improvements to support public health and safety.

Mr. Mustafa was nominated by Senator Helming to serve on the 12-member Rural Ambulance Services Task Force. He has worked in the EMS field for more than 30 years and remains in active practice as a paramedic.

Senator Pam Helming said, “Ahmed is highly respected by his peers in the EMS community for his leadership, expertise and commitment to high-quality emergency care and the recruitment of EMTs and paramedics. He has been a great partner to me as we’ve worked together to bring awareness and solutions to the unique challenges faced by our rural EMS providers. I was honored to nominate Ahmed for a position on the Rural Ambulance Services Task Force and I thank Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt for supporting his appointment. Ahmed will add great value to the group and I look forward to the results of their work.”

Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said, “Our ambulance service providers play a critical role in maintaining the health and safety of our communities, but are faced with unique challenges, particularly in the rural areas of our state. I commend Senator Pam Helming for her leadership in establishing the Rural Ambulance Services Task Force and her recommendation to appoint Syed Ahmed Mustafa to serve – I know Mr. Mustafa and I’m confident his expertise and experience will provide valuable insight to make much needed improvements to ambulance services in our rural communities.”

Syed Ahmed Mustafa, President and CEO of Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life Support (NEQALS) said, “I’d like to thank Senator Helming for her leadership on this issue and for nominating me to serve on New York State’s Rural Ambulance Services Task Force. I’d also like to thank Senator Ortt for the nomination. As a first responder with over 30 years of experience, much in rural areas, I can attest to the unique needs and challenges of our rural emergency medical services. Our EMTs and paramedics, both volunteer and career, are heroes in every sense of the word and we need to take an in-depth look at how to bolster staffing levels and provide the resources these agencies need in order to continue providing the safety net and lifesaving services communities throughout the state need. This task force is a crucial step forward to meeting the needs of our rural EMS providers and I am honored to have been nominated to participate in this crucial effort.”