Welcome to SOMAC

SOMAC—Southern Madison County Volunteer Ambulance Corp, is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization formed in June 1986 after the Community, Village, and Town of Hamilton were left without ambulance service.

On April 4, 1986 the local paid ambulance service suddenly, without warning, went out of business. It took almost two months to get everything in order—paperwork, equipment, etc.—until SOMAC's service started June 1, 1986. During this time, the Hamilton Fire Department rescue, a neighboring ambulance service, and active, potential SOMAC members responded to calls for the ambulance.

Volunteers were from Hamilton area community, Colgate University staff, and students. Many became EMT's (Emergency Medical Technicians) and continued their education to become Advanced Level EMT's (Intermediates, Level III Cardiac Tech's, and Level IV—Paramedics.) Using borrowed pagers from Hamilton Hospital, SOMAC was dispatched by Madison County Control Center, through Hamilton Hospital. Telephone calls for help and an ambulance were made into the Control Center, by sharing the Hamilton Police Dept. phone lines. After a short time, the SOMAC pagers were in service and the ambulance was dispatched directly by the Control Center. The initial ambulance and equipment were purchased from the previous provider. SOMAC started with a used 1980 Ford Van style ambulance. Eventually, a new ambulance was purchased and added as a second vehicle.

Today, SOMAC has two Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances.

Fund raising efforts by the SOMAC Board of Directors were responsible for the initial funding, and subsequent efforts. Through their efforts, SOMAC is able to continue to provide a quality service, with state-of-the-art equipment and ambulances.
Each ambulance carries full ALS (Advanced Life Support) equipment, defibrillators and LifePak monitors with pacing.

Certified at the Paramedic Level, SOMAC is proud to be celebrating our 22nd year of service.

If you are interested in joining the corps, please click on this link or the link above, "How to Join."