New Berlin rallies behind village ambulance in fundraiser
NEW BERLIN – In a continuing effort to reduce the debt incurred over a ten month period by the New Berlin Ambulance Service, the Friends of the NBAS held a fundraiser at the Deer Path Restaurant April 22.
According to Chief Operating Officer Kenneth Wiggins, $1,039.35 was raised at the event to help offset the deficit.
“We were very happy with the outcome,” said Wiggins. “People were dancing and having a great time.”
Cost of admission to the fundraiser was a $25 donation and included dinner, one beverage and a dessert. Live music was provided by RPM and there was a cash bar.
“It was a lot of fun and everyone who went enjoyed themselves,” said Diann Davison of the 63 attendees.
The deficit was reported by ambulance officials to be approximately $72,000 as of the April advisory board meeting, which is currently made up of two representatives from the village and town of New Berlin and the town Columbus.
Wiggins reported that the deficit resulted from poor scheduling strategies and a lack of a profitable payment plan.
Since January, Wiggins said, the service has turned its budget around and reported making a profit in January and February. This is a marked increase from the approximately $8,000 a month loss during the ten months prior, he explained.
“We’ve instituted a number of new revenue sources including, but not limited to, a reduction in overtime and we’ve become very budget-conscious,” said Wiggins.
Wiggins said that an increase in hard-billing practices for services such as diabetic wake-ups have also made a difference.
In March, the towns of Columbus and New Berlin voted separately to contract with the newly formed not-for-profit company Unadilla Valley Ambulance Corp.
Wiggins said the loss of the revenue from the towns would certainly make an impact on the budget of the NBAS, but he does not expect it to put the service out of business.
“A majority of our calls are within the town and we don’t expect the loss to change our budget plan by too much,” said Wiggins.
According to Mayor Terry Potter, additional fundraisers are in the works for the coming months and additional information will become available as they are solidified.
According to Chief Operating Officer Kenneth Wiggins, $1,039.35 was raised at the event to help offset the deficit.
“We were very happy with the outcome,” said Wiggins. “People were dancing and having a great time.”
Cost of admission to the fundraiser was a $25 donation and included dinner, one beverage and a dessert. Live music was provided by RPM and there was a cash bar.
“It was a lot of fun and everyone who went enjoyed themselves,” said Diann Davison of the 63 attendees.
The deficit was reported by ambulance officials to be approximately $72,000 as of the April advisory board meeting, which is currently made up of two representatives from the village and town of New Berlin and the town Columbus.
Wiggins reported that the deficit resulted from poor scheduling strategies and a lack of a profitable payment plan.
Since January, Wiggins said, the service has turned its budget around and reported making a profit in January and February. This is a marked increase from the approximately $8,000 a month loss during the ten months prior, he explained.
“We’ve instituted a number of new revenue sources including, but not limited to, a reduction in overtime and we’ve become very budget-conscious,” said Wiggins.
Wiggins said that an increase in hard-billing practices for services such as diabetic wake-ups have also made a difference.
In March, the towns of Columbus and New Berlin voted separately to contract with the newly formed not-for-profit company Unadilla Valley Ambulance Corp.
Wiggins said the loss of the revenue from the towns would certainly make an impact on the budget of the NBAS, but he does not expect it to put the service out of business.
“A majority of our calls are within the town and we don’t expect the loss to change our budget plan by too much,” said Wiggins.
According to Mayor Terry Potter, additional fundraisers are in the works for the coming months and additional information will become available as they are solidified.
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