Tom Williams laid his cards face-up on the table: What is cheaper, one or two ambulance services for Allen County taxpayers?
The query came Wednesday during the second meeting of an eight-person committee reviewing ambulance services in Allen County.
For 30 years the county had one service, financed by the county and operated by volunteers in Humboldt and Moran and firefighters in Iola. Then, when the county took full control, Iola started its own service to answer calls within the city in 2008.
“We’re looking for the most bang for our buck,” said Williams, committee member and sheriff. “Both (services) have good people, but which is smarter, one or two services?”
During the hour-long session, Ron Conaway, who directs Iola’s ambulances, referred to a presentation made to county commissioners last summer proposing Iola take over response countywide.
He said then and reiterated Wednesday annual cost would be about $1.8 million. The base would be the Iola fire station. A reserve ambulance and fire truck would be positioned at the county’s ambulance quarters, which would be used for training.
A part of the city’s proposal was to continue to have ambulances, manned by Iola firefighters trained in emergency medical services, stationed in Humboldt and Moran. Personnel in those towns also could help with training for local volunteer firefighters, do fire inspections and otherwise keep busy to the good of the communities, Conaway said.
Iola would keep a full-time fire department.
Jason Nelson, county
ambulance director, said he and his crew could cover all of the county, including about 1,000 additional calls originating in Iola, without adding personnel, and probably could save tax dollars. As is, a little over half of county ambulance expenses of $1.3 million are paid by income from runs.
Nelson predicated his estimate on assuming Iola’s supplies and using an $80,000 subsidy now sent Iola’s way to buy additional supplies each year. Addition of Iola runs would reduce reliance on a countywide levy, Nelson said.
Committee members aren’t ready to make any judgments.
They want more detailed information about expenses and income for each service.
Iola Administrator Carl Slaugh said he had no formula for splitting out personnel costs for firefighting responsibilities and operating ambulances within Iola, but promised to have the data by the committee’s next meeting, March 8 at noon in the courthouse assembly room.
Likewise, County Clerk Sherrie Riebel will be asked to give a detailed look at tax money raised annually to support rural fire districts so, at Williams’ behest, committee members may look at whether more of it — some already is — might flow to Iola’s fire department in return for training and assistance.
“IT’S IMPORTANT to identify (personnel) costs for comparison’s sake,” said Vada Aikins, committee member and Humboldt Council member. She was unimpressed by more than 20 pages of data each from Iola and the county and another sheaf of paper from Iola as Wednesday’s meeting began.
“That’s too much,” Aikins said, saying she preferred a page or two so comparisons could be made more easily.
