Commissioners clarify ambulance stance
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September 1, 2013 |
By Michael Meier
County Public Information Officer
Under State Law Boundary County is mandated to
provide basic ambulance service to the residents
of Boundary County in one form or another.
Boundary Volunteer Ambulance has served
Boundary County for 47 years as a private
enterprise doing basic ambulance services,
operating with their own business plan and
profits.
In the past, Boundary Volunteer Ambulance has
not shared their business plan or profit and
loss statements with County Commissioners and
has operated under their own profits, excluding
$8000 provided annually by Boundary County for
assistance.
First and foremost, Boundary County
Commissioners are responsible for the health and
welfare of our residents and also control the
finances required to secure those basic
services.
In doing such, County Commissioners are not
responsible for the business plan of a privately
operated business like Boundary Volunteer
Ambulance, and also not responsible for the
profitability of that business.
It is a private business like all others.
Good faith negotiations between the County
Commissioners and Boundary Volunteer Ambulance
have been ongoing.
Last year, Boundary County approved an Ambulance
Service District, borrowed $80,000 from the
Solid Waste Closure Fund and paid that sum to
Boundary Volunteer Ambulance to provide service
until the end of September, 2013.
The amount of the Ambulance Service District
Levy is about $330,000.
In any given tax year, about 90 percent of the
property taxes are collected, which is
anticipated to be about $300,000.
After paying back the money borrowed, plus
interest will leave the bulk to go to Boundary
Volunteer Ambulance, or any other provider. This
would be an increase of 25 fold in funds
historically provided.
Additionally, Boundary Volunteer Ambulance has
not been instructed to vacate the county owned
and maintained building that is currently being
provided to Boundary Volunteer Ambulance at no
cost.
Contrary to information stated in ads, County
Commissioners have not secretly negotiated with
other agencies for any long term service, but
has a contingency plan for Bonner County EMS to
provide a 90 day service only should
negotiations break down with Boundary Volunteer
Ambulance as is required by State Law.
Newport Ambulance requested a meeting with the
Commissioners and is investigating the
opportunity to provide ambulance service for
Boundary County.
Newport Ambulance provides a higher level of
service, ALS (paramedic level), serving the Pend
Oreille County area and a small portion of
western Bonner County, including Oldtown.
Under their business plan, they receive $25,000
in public fund support from Bonner County for
annual operations and none from Pend Oreille
County.
Contrary to information stated in ads, Boundary
County has not requested Boundary Volunteer
Ambulance to only provide one ambulance. How
many vehicles Boundary County Volunteer
Ambulance operates is not the county’s concern
as long as they provide the ambulance services
they are contracted to provide.
Boundary Volunteer Ambulance is asking the
County to provide over $200,000 in public funds
to maintain operation. A jump from $8000 to over
$200,000 in a few short years is a tremendous
increase for a business plan.
County commissioners wish to continue
negotiations with Boundary Volunteer Ambulance
for their contracted ambulance services and wish
nothing but success with the Boundary Volunteer
Ambulance business plan, but not solely at the
expense of the tax payer.
Commissioners would very much like to keep
providing the best bang for our residents'
dollar.
A good business plan should allow for the
majority of revenue to be generated primarily
through the fees charged for service.
County commissioners are planning on taking
Request for Services and official bids for the
ambulance services in Boundary County, not to
replace Boundary Volunteer Ambulance, but to
establish the best possible EMS service County
wide, while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
As negotiations go forth, county commissioners
hope Boundary Volunteer Ambulance is successful
in securing a contract for ambulance services,
and that their business plan allows them to be
profitable, providing needed services for all
residents within the County. |
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