Commission reviews 3 ambulance proposals
BONNERS FERRY — Three proposals for ambulance service in Boundary County are on the table along with continuing good faith negotiations with Boundary Volunteer Ambulance.
Boundary County Commissioners opened request for proposals on Monday, Sept. 16.
The three proposals came from Boundary Ambulance LLC, Boundary Volunteer Ambulance Service Inc., and Newport Emergency Services Inc.
Boundary County Commissioners are levying the full 0.04 percent for the Ambulance Service District for budget year 2013-2014, which will bring in about $330,000 to fund an ambulance service and pay off their $80,000 obligation to the Solid Waste Fund.
Commissioners interviewed each company on Tuesday afternoon to clarify questions before making a decision.
Commissioner LeAlan Pinkerton said the commissioners need to decide on the most appropriate ambulance service possible for the most appropriate amount of money.
Boundary
Ambulance LLC
The Boundary Ambulance LLC proposal for ambulance service in Boundary County comes from Willard Protsman of Sandpoint.
Protsman has spent five years with Westside Fire as a supervisor for the EMS operations.
Boundary Ambulance is requesting funding of $230,000 initially from the Boundary County Ambulance Service District.
Boundary Ambulance is applying for a basic transport license and does not have a medical director at the time of the proposal.
The coverage plan includes utilizing Bonners Ferry as a central-staging point with four-wheel drive ambulances.
Ambulances would be staffed with qualified volunteers, paid on a per call basis, as the “current demand for services does not support the financial burden of full time employees”.
Boundary Ambulance LLC also offered commissioners to present call volumes in a monthly report along with a semi-annual performance report that would include average fuel report, employee feedback, state of readiness, and fiscal evaluation.
The stated goal of Boundary Ambulance LLC “is to provide a cost effective service to the community, while providing the highest level of service. ”
Boundary Volunteer Ambulance Service Inc.
Boundary Volunteer Ambulance Service (BVA) has been operating in Boundary County since 1965 by a group of local community members.
BVA is a 501(c)(3) whose top priority is “the welfare for those who live, visit, recreate or pass through Boundary County”.
BVA is requesting funding the first year of the full levy amount less the $80,000 promissory obligation between the Ambulance Service District and Boundary County.
For the second year (2014-2015) and third year (2015-2016), BVA is requesting $250,000 in funding each year.
BVA has an Intermediate Life Support license and their medical director is Henry S. Willis III, MD, of Bonners Ferry.
The coverage plan includes a minimum of three ambulances staffed with 45 volunteers. BVA also plans to maintain and improve a radio repeater system; provide inter-facility transfers; provide continuing education training; and continue providing additional mass casualty supplies and towing.
Newport Emergency Services Inc.
Newport Emergency Services, dba Newport Ambulance, is a non-profit company based in Oldtown. They have more than 25 years of experience and now service portions of Bonner County and Washington’s Pend Oreille County.
Newport Ambulance’s main goal “is to provide the highest level of EMS care while living within the economic restraints of this community.” They wish to streamline and enable a more, cost effective, sustainable EMS operation in Boundary County.
They are requesting funding the first year of $119,490 for ALS (Advanced Life Support) service or $191,325 for BLS (Basic Life Support).
Newport Ambulance has an ALS License with a medical director in both Idaho and Washington.
The coverage plan includes providing one 24-hour paid, staffed ambulance in Boundary County.
A second ambulance would be staffed with volunteers receiving some economic benefits. A third ambulance would be used as needed for special events and/or mass casualty.
A fourth ambulance would be utilized to assist South Boundary Fire Department with becoming licensed as a basic EMS transport unit for back up and would assist fire departments in becoming organized as extrication units and responder units.
Another ambulance based out of Oldtown would be used to assist in transport, either meeting the Bonners Ferry transport unit in Sandpoint to transfer or as a back-up ambulance to Bonners Ferry while the primary transport unit is transporting.
Newport Ambulance would like to assist in the creation of an EMS Council Board to share information and assist with molding EMS operations within Boundary County.
They also would like to assist with providing free training to fire services as they become system partners.
Newport Ambulance offered to provide Commissioners with activity information annually or as requested.