CBS2 Exclusive: Demand For Change After Man Dies At Jones Beach Waiting For Ambulance

WANTAGH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Lawmakers on Tuesday were calling for a stronger emergency response plan at New York state parks, after CBS2's story on a Rockville Centre man's death.

As CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported exclusively, John Mullady had a heart attack in his car and died last year after leaving a concert at Jones Beach State Park. He had been waiting 18 minutes for an ambulance.

"It's ridiculous," Mary Ann Mullady said.

Mullady is turning anguish into action – launching a petition for change at Jones Beach State Park after her husband's death.

They were waiting for an ambulance with paramedics to arrive from the mainland.

"They need a permanent ambulance all the time – not just 7 to 7 – sometimes they have it, sometimes they don't," Mary Ann Mullady said.

The lack of an ambulance at Jones Beach was the subject of CBS2's exclusive report last week.

Jones Beach relies on a Nassau County police ambulance until 7 p.m. But at night, it is covered by volunteer fire departments off the barrier island – even though the park still bustles with concertgoers, bikers, and boardwalk visitors.

A private ambulance stationed at the Jones Beach Theater isn't looped into the 911 system.

The gap has New York state Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Rockville Centre) asking for full review of resources.

"Government's supposed to work best when they do something before a tragedy," Kaminsky said. "A tragedy already took place, so let's – we better well do something before another tragedy happens."

State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) was also calling Tuesday for a review of state police staffing. For part of the night john Mullady died, one officer said he was assigned to patrol five different state parks.

"You can't say that we have 130 or (1)40 less state police officers than we had 10 years ago, with record numbers of people going to the parks, and say that we are adequately staffed," Martins said.

A state parks spokesman disputed the staffing numbers, revealing 13 officers were on duty serving Jones Beach along with two EMTs.

But critics said they were assigned strictly to the theater, and EMTs do not replace a full-time ambulance with advanced life support.

Sources with extensive knowledge in EMS protocol told CBS2's Gusoff that 18 minutes is an inordinate amount of time to wait for an ambulance -- acceptable maybe in rural areas. In Nassau County, the average response time is under seven minutes.

"My husband was a Vietnam vet – hit a mine, went 100 feet in the air, landed on his head, and got help. And then died at Jones Beach waiting for an ambulance," Mary Ann Mullady said.

There was no comment from New York State Parks on the calls for a permanent ambulance.

New York state Assemblyman Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood) has sponsored legislation to significantly increase park police staffing at state parks. The bill stalled this year in committee.