Ambulance service in jeopardy

BONNERS FERRY — The future of ambulance service in Boundary County is in jeopardy.

Lack of funding and the subsequent conflict between county commissioners and the Boundary Volunteer Ambulance service means that a shutdown is looming.

BVA notified Boundary County commissioners in late March that it required additional funding to continue operations. Now, some three months later, there is no resolution in sight.

BVA initially gave the county commissioners a deadline of midnight June 14 to provide funding or face cessation of services. After being unable to reach resolution, that deadline was extended to midnight June 29, then extended again to July 31.

Officials with BVA say they are hopeful they will reach an agreement with the county before that deadline and the service will continue to operate.

If commissioners cannot reach a resolution with BVA, the 47-year-old business will cease to exist.

BVA has 22 volunteers and five ambulances in its fleet. “Our call volume is up and volunteers simply can’t handle the increased numbers,” Ken Baker, emergency medical services chief, said. Baker said that volunteers can’t simply walk away from their jobs to handle their volunteer duties on an increasing basis, so some regular staff is essential.

Because the county is required to provide some kind of emergency service, it may have to lease an ambulance and personnel from Bonner County.

The commissioners have signed a contract with Bonner County EMS services that will provide one technician and one ambulance at the rate of $550 per day.

Housing, fuel, and incidental expenses would increase that cost. “We will enact that contract if no decision is reached,” said Commission Chairman Ron Smith.

Baker says BVA simply cannot continue to operate without additional financial support.

He cites increasing numbers of emergency calls, unpaid services, and operating costs including fuel, insurance, and vehicle repairs.

The BVA would also like to hire paid staff to relieve the increasing burden placed on volunteers.

Baker added many of the ambulances in the fleet are aged, as is much of the extrication equipment.

Baker also noted that many people who receive emergency services do not pay for them.

“A third of our call volume is people you can’t bill or who don’t have the ability to pay,” Baker said.

BVA is also asking for funding for a new building and a seven-year contract to provide services to the county.

Currently, advanced life support services have to brought in from outside the area, meaning a time delay for critically injured patients. BVA is requesting an annual budget of $80,000 for 2012 and 2013.

They have been operating with an $8,000 annual budget for the past 14 years, most of which is generated from state auto licensing funds.

The county responded with an offer of $40,000, which BVA flatly refused.

Discussions with BVA have been described as “heated.”

At one point, the county asked to see BVA’s business plan, but at the advice of their attorney, BVA did not provide that information.

The attorney for BVA informed the commissioners that if they couldn’t afford to fund the ambulance service, they needed to “sell something to pay for it.”

The commissioners feel that BVA is not willing to negotiate, and is only offering one absolute condition.

The county continues to stress the need for fiscal accountability and staying within budget constraints.

Commissioners have discussed a variety of alternatives, including requesting proposals for input from other emergency service providers, as well as the creation of an ambulance taxing district.

The creation of the district, proposed by Smith, would establish a taxing area but leave it unfunded for the time being.

This would allow a window of 15 months if the county decides to create a levy.

Even with a levy, funding wouldn’t become available until December of 2013.

Input from citizens of Boundary County indicates they are in favor of establishing a district, but aren’t happy with the amount of money that is being requested — .02 percent.

Commissioner Walt Kirby said the only way to provide ambulance service is to establish a district, but that this needs to be “approached gently, as it involves spending taxpayers’ dollars.”

Craig Johnson, CEO of Boundary Community Hospital, said “The Boundary Community Hospital supports a reliable and financially stable ambulance service in our community. It is our understanding that the County Commissioners have already created an ambulance taxing district and we support the commissioners in that action.”

Johnson added that the hospital stands ready to help the commissioners develop a viable ambulance system to serve the community.