A longtime Pine Bush ambulance captain and volunteer training officer has been hit with a three-year suspension after state records cited allegations of patient abuse and negligence. The disciplinary action, effective May 6, 2026, sidelines a veteran member of the local volunteer corps from active certification, and officials so far are keeping the details close to the vest.
State records detail the suspension
According to the public sanctions list from the New York State Department of Health, the entry for "Cohen, Brett" (EMT number 249864) shows a suspension of three (3) years, effective May 6, 2026. The listing cites violations under 10 NYCRR 800.16(a)(2) and 800.16(a)(4). The notice, posted May 7, 2026, spells out the length of the sanction but offers no narrative explaining what actually happened.
What the state calls abuse and negligence
Under state EMS rules in 10 NYCRR Part 800, outlined in a regulations document from the New York State Department of Health, negligence is defined as a failure to perform as an ordinary, reasonable, similarly situated certificate holder would. The same rules describe patient abuse as “any inappropriate and/or offensive physical, sexual or verbal contact or interaction with a patient.” Those definitions set the legal framework the department uses when it decides whether to suspend or revoke a provider’s certification.
Senior Pine Bush officer sidelined
Brett Cohen is listed on the Pine Bush Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps officers page as the service’s Chief of EMS and a training officer, with the corps identifying its contact address in Pine Bush on its website. The three-year suspension blocks Cohen from functioning at the certified level for the duration of the sanction, effectively pulling a senior volunteer out of the corps’ lineup during that stretch.
Local reporting and what is still unknown
Local coverage by the Somers Daily Voice notes that the department released little information about what led to the suspension and reports that Cohen received the Ulster County EMS Council’s Harriet C. Weber Leadership Award in 2025. The outlet also points out that the public posting did not reference any criminal charges and that more detailed enforcement documents were not available online when the sanction was listed.
What the suspension actually means
The enforcement page and Part 800 regulations make clear that these are administrative moves. Sanctions can include suspension, revocation or civil penalties, depending on the findings and the process followed. An administrative suspension limits a certificate holder’s ability to practice at the certified level but is separate from any criminal investigation that police or prosecutors might undertake. Residents who want to know how this affects local coverage can reach out to the Pine Bush corps using the address and contact information posted on its website.
