A division of the Guilderland Police Department, GEMS is an advanced life support first response agency operated by the Town of Guilderland. Dispatched by the Town Police Department NYS paramedics respond in specially equipped first response vehicles from three different zones, with a field supervisor providing direction and backup support.  Although initially, GEMS was formed to provide service to the Town of Guilderland, over the years GEMS saw its primary response territory grow to include the Town of Knox and part of the SUNY campus. This state of the art operational design provides some of the most advanced pre-hospital procedures in the country.  Some of which include continuous positive airway pressure, medicated facilitated intubation, end tidal capnography, automatic transport ventilators, and much more. 

GEMS, an award winning agency was born out of a keen sense of responsibility to the community. In 1985 an ad hoc committee was formed by the Town and given a task to provide the highest level of pre-hospital care available to its community. The committee was comprised of members from the Altamont Rescue Squad, Western Turnpike Rescue Squad, local fire departments, Guilderland Police Department, and a member from the Town council.