By Dee Longfellow
At the City Council meeting held Monday, Aug. 15, a discussion was held to review and discuss the City’s fees for ambulance services, currently provided by contract to Metro Paramedic Services, Inc. The Finance, Council Affairs and Administrative Services Committee (FCAAS) as well as the Public Affairs and Safety Committee (PAS), which followed with a proposal to renew the contract with Metro.
The FCAAS Committee Chair Ald. Bob Dunn (2nd Ward) introduced the topic of cost to the other aldermen.
“Superior Ambulance’s contract is set to expire Sept. 1,” said Dunn. “We’ve been aware of it, we have been bumping up the rates over the past few years as wages get more competitive with other jobs and positions within the paramedic community. It is getting tougher and tougher to retain the good quality paramedics that our community desires and commands.”
He said paramedics typically make about $22 per hour and that the City is looking to break even.
“Fees from Medicare, Medicaid, and other private insurance companies offset the costs,” Dunn said. “The Committee wanted to come up with a break-even point, based our analysis; we got three or four different studies. These rates are also competitive with other towns.”
Alderman Marti Deuter (1st Ward), who serves as Chair of the Public Affairs & Safety Committee, talked about renewing the contract with Metro.
“Our paramedic service is one of the most important services we provide to our community,” she said. “We currently have 15 full-time paramedics, two full-equipped ambulances and one stand-by ambulance, plus all required licensing and fees.”
Deuter reminded aldermen that in 2017, the City added a Rapid Response vehicle.
“Folks will remember it decreases response time and so far, it’s been working,” she said. “It is the first vehicle to respond to a call. Since we started, other communities have been doing the same thing.”
She concluded by noting the cost of the entire emergency services program is $2.2 million and the City’s portion is $388,000. The term of the contract is five years.
Both measures – the fee increases and the contract renewal — passed 14-0.
“The PAS and the Finance Committee worked very hard on this,” said Mayor Scott Levin, after the discussion. “We’ve worked through some unusual market conditions and we have found the best possible solution.
“We have to keep our services at the top level.”
