NEW YORK: Emergacare NY, a New York corporate paramedic service, has hired Dan Klores Communications to handle its PR, public affairs, and branding ahead of a major consumer publicity push.
Emergacare, which is affiliated with New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center, plans to follow a business-to-business campaign with efforts targeting consumers in the hope that office workers will hear about the service and encourage their companies to retain it.
In exchange for a retainer, the service, which launched earlier this year, offers a guaranteed response time of five to six minutes, along with advanced life-support systems and top-flight paramedics.
The company currently counts 50 businesses among its clients, covering over 200 employees.
Emergacare NY covers the Midtown and Lower Manhattan business districts, stationing eight ambulances around the island at all times and fielding calls through global positioning system technology.
The company was inspired by the chaos of September 11, when ambulances clogged the streets of Lower Manhattan to await casualties, potentially leaving emergencies elsewhere in the city unattended. Publicity efforts will play in part upon preparedness for acts of terrorism.
"It offers an advantage to corporations post-9/11," said DKC SVP Robert Leonard. "It's a benefit companies can give to make their employees feel safe."
DKC pitched for the account in a non-competitive bid. The firm had ties to the agency through Leonard, who previously served as a spokesman for the New York City Emergency Medical Services, and volunteers as an EMT.
The agency also represents two large New York hospital systems, and has taken on several clients for projects related to the fallout from September 11.
