By Kimberly Gasuras
CCN Reporter
Two Bucyrus City Council committees met Tuesday afternoon to discuss water line expansion and whether or not the city should operate its own emergency medical services through the Bucyrus Fire Department.
In a report compiled by Bucyrus Health and Safety Committee Chair Kevin Myers, who worked in the emergency medical services field for a number of years, it is not feasible at this time for the city to finance an ambulance service through the fire department.
In his report, Myers broke down the costs for items such as stretchers, ambulances, cardiac monitors, pharmacy and supplies, EMS billing and more.
Myers also said staffing is a concern.
“By being a member of the Central Joint Ambulance District (CJAD), city residents are protected with three ALS ambulances, 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Two of those ambulances must be maintained for 911 calls within the district while the third may be used for private transport within the district,” said Myers.
The city of Bucyrus, through the fire department, serves as a back up to the CJAD provider with their ambulance.
The Bucyrus Fire Department currently has five firefighters assigned per shift and has minimum manning requirements of three firefighters per shift.
“There are currently no requirements for the number of paramedics on duty at any one time. To properly serve the residents of the city for both fire and EMS, it would be necessary to staff, at a minimum, one ALS ambulance and one fire engine which would cross-man a second ALS ambulance,” Myers said.
Six firefighters with at least two paramedics would be required to be on duty at all times.
“The city currently employs 15 firefighters and seven are paramedics. To get to a minimum staffing of six firefighters, the city would have to hire additional firefighters and paramedics or resort to paying overtime each day,” Myers said.
Bucyrus City Auditor Joy Schifer estimated the cost of a new firefighter to be approximately $90,000 per year which includes benefits and wages.
“Since firefighters work 24 hours on and 48 hours off on three rotating shifts, three new hires would add one additional firefighter/paramedic per shift to bring minimum staffing up to a reasonable level to perform EMS and firefighting safely. Hiring three new firefighter/paramedics would cost $270,000 annually. Hiring six new fire fighters would cost $540,000 per year,” Myers said.
Several firefighters attended the meeting and Brett Young, president of the firefighters’ union, said the department already is understaffed.
“Our concern is that we be staffed appropriately to take this on, so we can provide proper service to residents,” Young said.
The deadline for the city to inform the district of whether to leave or stay with the district is April 5.
Firefighter Greg Hershey said the issue has come up before and that the city had three years to prepare.
“I don’t understand why the city has waited until one month before a decision has to be made,” Hershey said.
Young said the fire department should have been involved in discussions all along.
Myers concluded his report with his opinion, that after substantial research into the matter, the city would be better off to remain a partner a member of the district.
The committee decided to continue the discussion in a special meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 19, at Bucyrus City Hall.
The main topic of the service committee meeting was water line expansion.
Bucyrus City Law Director Rob Ratliff said if the city takes over the water supply agreement between the city and the county instead of waiting until the debt is paid off for waterlines already serving county residents, the city then has the authority to stop other entities from entering certain districts in the county to provide water to residents.
This would include Ohio Northern Rural Water out of Norwalk, which already is in the process of contracting with Sulphur Springs residents to provide water.
The committee voted for legislation to be created to go before the entire council to take over the contract early.