CHENANGO COUNTY – Local leaders were presented with a possible long-term solution to an expected ambulance shortage Tuesday that would involve the county funding an emergency service for the first time.
County fire officials and town supervisors asked the county to take up the issue in September after Superior Ambulance – a Binghamton-based private service that handles around 2,000 emergency calls per year in several area townships – announced it would no longer be operating in Chenango County after Oct. 25.
The pull-out was precluded by the company cutting its ambulance numbers by two-thirds in January, citing a lack of profitable business. Since then, area emergency service squads, particularly the City of Norwich, are being stretched to meet the influx of added calls, city and county leaders say.
The solution to the shortage, presented County Fire Coordinator Matt Beckwith to the full Board of Supervisors at its monthly meeting Tuesday, calls for the county to implement a “fly car” system.
Here’s how the system looks as presented:
• The county would employ three full-time, Advanced Life Support certified paramedics to help staff outlying volunteer ambulance squads.
• The paramedics would drive a car to 911 calls or meet volunteers on route to the hospital from two posts, most likely in the southern and northern halves of the county.
• Working in a rotating shift, two county paramedics would always be on call from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Without figuring in any revenue, Beckwith estimates the service would cost the county $273,610 annually. That does not include $77,000 to purchase vehicles and $15,000 in other start-up costs.
The board moved that Beckwith’s fly car outline be sent to the Safety & Rules committee to be further examined.
Board Chairman Richard Decker told his fellow supervisors that the fly car system appears to be workable solution.
“ Matt’s (Beckwith) developed a concept I think we could live with,” said Decker. “It will benefit the districts that have ambulance services, but don’t have the personnel to man them.”
Beckwith and others have cited a decline in the number of fire and EMS volunteers to answer calls and staff ambulances as the major cause of the shortage. Stiffer state requirements, time constraints, work duties and added family responsibilities have all contributed to the volunteer decrease, Beckwith said, which is visible at the national level, according to data from the National Volunteer Fire Council.
“That is the greatest need we have right now,” Beckwith said, referring specifically to advanced paramedic training. “As we hold training and certification courses, we’re finding that that we’re not getting a great deal of people advancing to that level.”
Preston Supervisor Peter Flanagan asked Beckwith and representatives from the City of Norwich how much revenue the county ambulance service could expect to receive, based on their figures.
“My feeling is, if the private service is losing a large amount of money, why would we be any different?” Flanagan asked.
Beckwith and city Mayor Joseph Maiurano could not offer any concrete figures, but admitted that a government-funded ambulance, in reality, won’t make money.
“Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t think the county should be in this to make money,” Flanagan said. “I would just like to see what our total cost would be.”
Criticizing the stiffer state requirements for volunteers, Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown said he doesn’t see how the county can avoid taking up the paramedic service. He supported the fly car concept, and suggested outlying towns pool their resources to purchase an extra ambulance.
“Our town and other smalls towns have to get on board with an ambulance and make this system work,” Brown said. “I don’t see where we have a choice.”
Several supervisors questioned why the fly car would only operate Monday through Friday. Beckwith said that’s when volunteers are the most scarce.
“I really think volunteers can cover the rest of the time,” he said.
Brown and Decker asked that the county agree on Beckwith’s, or another solution, by Jan. 1.
In the meantime, Beckwith said the volunteers and paid service in Norwich can handle the calls.
“I think we can do it, but not for long,” he said. “I’m afraid they’ll start to burn out.”
Beckwith developed this fly car model with the help of Wayne County emergency officials, who suffered a similar ambulance crisis three years ago.
Otselic Supervisor David Messineo said the county should also create legislation that will give tax benefits to volunteers as incentive to join.