Commissioners clarify ambulance stance
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.