By Kimberly Gasuras
CCN Reporter

The debate rages on as Bucyrus city officials try to come up with a plan for the continuation of ambulance services to city residents.

In a special meeting of the Bucyrus City Council Health and Safety Committee on Monday evening, Mayor Jeff Reser made his opinion on the situation clear.

“We have two options at this point. The first is to remain in the Central Joint Ambulance District,” Reser said. “I cannot recommend this option.”

Reser said the power as a member of the CJAD is skewed against city residents.

“We represent half the population in the ambulance district, but have just one vote out of 16,” Reser said. “We bring in a majority of the revenue, but would have to bear nearly 50 percent of any subsidy that may be agreed upon by the members, which, in effect, becomes another tax on our residents.”

Reser cited economic changes in the city during the past 15 years as the reason the city has to look at other options other than being part of the ambulance district.

“We have seen a 14-percent drop in our population and our population is aging, so our tax base has been reduced,” Reser said. “The state has chosen to implement a tax policy that has reduced our general fund revenue by approximately $500,000 per year. This loss in revenue has to be made up somehow, either in cutting staff, increasing revenue by taxation or generating revenue on our own.”

Reser said voters passed a safety forces levy which generates approximately $1.5 million per year.

“Total safety forces spending is approximately $4.2 million per year,” Reser said. “Last year, we had a $351,000 bed deficit in the general fund.”

Reser said that leaves the option of entertaining bids from ambulance service providers to serve the city.

“This would allow us to provide the second ambulance to the contracted service, bringing in much-needed revenue to the general fund and allow us to have control over the quality of provider care for the city,” Reser said.

Reser said he would want a short-term contract which would allow the city to gradually take over operation of all emergency medical services within the city limits.

Reser compared Bucyrus to Galion as the city operates their own ambulance service through the Galion Fire Department.

“We have looked at other cities that are comparable in size to Bucyrus and we think we can do this,” Reser said.

At the last committee meeting, chair Kevin Myers read a report he had compiled with the conclusion that the city cannot afford to fund a city-operated ambulance through the Bucyrus 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, city residents are protected with three ALS ambulances, 24 hours per day, seven days a week,” Myers said “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.”

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,” Myers said. “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.”

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,” Myers said. “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.”

Bucyrus City Auditor Joy Schifer estimated the cost of a new firefighter to be approximately $90,000 per year which includes benefits and wages.

She said she is not on the same page as the mayor until she sees facts and figures on how much it would cost to operate a city-operated EMS and how much revenue it would generate.

Bucyrus Police Department Lt. Tom Walker agrees with Schifer.

“There seems to be a lot of unknowns. We do not know what General Electric is going to do. There could be a loss of 250 jobs in the city,” Walker said. “I think our buying power is with the ambulance district.”

Committee member Andrew Schoch said the city currently is trying to add county residents as customers of city water.

“So, we cut townships out on the ambulance district then ask them to play ball when it comes to expanding water distributions to township residents,” Schoch said.

Reser said two townships already have gone to another provider for water even though the city has been in the ambulance district for 15 years.

“They have a grudge against us, it may go back generations,” Reser said.

City resident Barb Blackford said she would like to see a feasibility completed before the city leaves the ambulance district.

“Years ago, there was one done and that was when the city joined the ambulance district,” Blackford said.

Myers said the study is from 2001 and he reviewed it before compiling his report.

Brett Young, president of the local International Firefighters Union, said that if the deadline of April 6 was not looming, the city could have had the IFF complete a feasibility study, free of charge.

Committee members Mark Makeever and Bruce Truka said they want more facts and figures before voting on any type of legislation to go before council.

Council President Sis Love said that the entire council should be present at all future meetings of the Health and Safety Committee regarding the emergency services issue.

“We need to decide if we contract with a provider on our own or stay with the ambulance district,” Myers said.

Ron Miller of the CJAD, said the deadline of April 6 is firm for city officials to stay in the CJAD.

The regular Bucyrus City Council meeting is March 20 at 7 p.m., with the next meeting of the Health and Safety committee set for Thursday evening.