The Garden City Telegram

 Email this story | Add Your Comment  | Read (1) Comments

EMS crew a question mark

Published 6/16/2009 in Local News

By STEPHANIE FARLEY

sfarley@gctelegram.com

Finney County commissioner Dave Jones has received services from Finney County Emergency Medical Services. So has his wife, Dareline.

Fellow Commissioner Cliff Mayo has, too. And Mayo figures every one of the commissioners could tell a story of how Finney County EMS has either helped them, their families or someone they know.

On Monday, Mayo, Jones and the rest of the commission, including Larry Jones, Don Doll and Roman Halbur, weighed the dilemma of residents needing emergency services vs. what the county and taxpayers can afford to provide. The commission realizes people need certain services, County Administrator Pete Olson said Monday, but the question is at what level.

The commission heard EMS Director Bob Prewitt's request Monday of adding an additional crew of six to the department for 2010 to handle an emergency call load that continues to increase.

According to EMS' proposed 2010 budget, about $278,600 is estimated in salaries and benefits for an additional six full-time personnel. In Prewitt's budget proposal with the expansion, EMS is requesting $1,992,280 for 2010 — about a 26.5 percent increase over 2009's budget of $1,465,208.

After discussing the request, commissioners decided to have Prewitt return to the commission on July 6 — a week before the commission is scheduled to have its budget workshop. Commissioners are seeking more information about options that possibly could help in delaying adding a crew until the county and EMS can reserve enough money to fund additional manpower.

"We're talking a big increase," Doll told Prewitt.

"We need your help," Halbur said of Prewitt and current EMS personnel looking at where they can cut and save money, as well as bring in additional revenue. "We need to look at every angle possible."

The request to Prewitt to revisit his budget came on the same day as commissioners heard 2010 budget requests from Public Works, Finney County Sheriff's Office, County Appraiser, Youth Services and Finney County Fairgrounds.

The appraiser's office is requesting $721,421.30 for 2010, up from $658,984; the sheriff's office is requesting $5,695,282, up from $5,307,321; Road and Bridge, through Public Works, is requesting $6,133,993, up from $4,975,722; the fairgrounds' request is $597,763.41, up from $501,803; and Youth Services is requesting $390,331.97, down from $401,408.80.

What's driving Prewitt's request for six additional full-time personnel is the worry that as EMS' call load — the service had a total 230 calls in May, averaging 7.7 calls a day — continues increasing, the service won't be able to meet the demand, which could lead to someone having to wait for an ambulance.

Doll questioned whether the service could start billing regular callers, thinking charging could weed out unnecessary calls where help isn't really needed.

Larry Jones wondered if EMS also could start charging for the service responding to traffic and other accidents and instances in which EMS shows up at the scene, but no care or patient transport is provided.

"I don't think you're gonna collect any of them," he said of charging people who receive basic, minimal care at the scene but aren't transported by ambulance.

Jones cited an accident near his home in which teenagers ran a vehicle into a telephone pole — EMS responded and checked over the kids, but didn't transport them, Jones said, explaining that EMS still gave its time even though no one was transported.

The way it works now is EMS doesn't really bill for response, Prewitt said, but rather for transport. The base rate for non-emergency transport is $326, Prewitt said, and emergency transport is $450. Transferring patients, such as to Wichita, includes a base rate plus mileage, which is $8 per loaded mile or when the patient's on board.

There are EMS services across the state, though, that have started billing for response, Prewitt said, explaining Salina charges about $149 and Hays is about $75 for responding to a call if treatment's given but no one is transported.

While billing for response could be an option, Olson made the point Monday that EMS, like law enforcement and fire, is a basic public service that people expect to have access to when needed. Prewitt said he'd rather respond to a scene and service not be needed than respond late if someone is hurt.

At this point in the county's budget process, there still are more unknowns than answers, with the county waiting for its valuation. County Clerk Elsa Ulrich said she hopes to have valuation numbers by the end of this week or early next week.

But on Monday, Halbur said he didn't feel the county could immediately fund an additional crew starting in 2010.

"We can't find this much money that quick," he told Prewitt. "You realize where we're at."

Where Prewitt's coming from is EMS hasn't added a crew for about 25 years, and it'll take time to find and hire additional personnel, as well as expand EMS' existing facility to house extra staff. So there'll be down time even if the county and department were to fund an additional crew for 2010, Prewitt said, adding he doesn't know how long the service can continue meeting the increasing call load with its existing staff.

"This is large enough that we need to talk to you," Mayo told Prewitt of the budget request, explaining they'd like him to return July 6 to further discuss the budget, possible rate increases and cutting from other areas of the budget to make room to fund another crew.

Should the county fund another crew for EMS? Talk about it at SWKTalk.com.

Welcome!    

Today's events •  Weekly Events

Submit An Event

Telegram Featured Video