The Cole County Commission plans to take a week to consider possibly adding staff to the county ambulance service.
Ambulance Director Jerry Johnston was able to get a new transfer van for the service in April, but commissioners denied a request for two new crew members.
In May, commissioners denied a second request from Johnston to add a 12-hour, seven-day-a-week crew.
"In my short time here, I have noticed a volume increase," Johnston told commissioners at their Tuesday meeting. "That said, an analysis over the last year is even more telling. During this time, our overall call volume has increased 25 percent, our transfer volume has increased approximately 60 percent and our emergency call volume has increased 20 percent."
Johnston added the time it takes from dispatch to in service has increased by 90 percent, from 45 minutes to one hour and 25 minutes, largely due to the increased volume of transfers.
"Last month, we experienced a record of 1,000 calls," he said.
At their April meeting, when Johnston proposed hiring two new EMTs to staff the transfer van, commissioners were receptive but wary of spending more money on the service after recent increases to the ambulance budget - adding five employees and putting in a new computer dispatch service, all totaling $376,263. The cost for the van and a new ambulance totaled $233,000. Although only $220,000 was budgeted this year for ambulances, Johnston said the service should avoid having to purchase a new ambulance next year, as planned.
The commission in March approved increasing rates on some types of calls. Johnston said it would be months before the service would see the effect of that change. He added they are looking at another potential rate increase in 2018 since service charges remain low compared to other area ambulance services.
Johnston said Tuesday revenues have increased approximately $50,000 in the past two months. When annualized, he believes the increase for the year will be $350,000.
Johnston's current proposal is for one of two scenarios:
- Remove the supervisor from ambulance duty and replace the position with a paramedic. "That accomplishes most of our objectives at 50 percent of the staffing cost," Johnston said.
- Add an additional 12-hour crew from noon to midnight. "That represents the time of greatest need," he said. "If this option is selected, it remains imperative that the supervisor still come off the ambulance. They must be able to provide leadership during times of peak demand or high acuity calls."
Johnston recommends proceeding with the first scenario and planning for the second through the 2018 budget cycle.
"I am confident that, while not ideal, we can make option one work for the remainder of 2017," he said.
Western District Commissioner Kris Scheperle and Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher said the service's top priority should be to handle 911 calls. Their concerns were over long-distance transfers, taking ambulances out of the county.
"I'm not saying I'm opposed to doing something, but we only have so many people and resources," Scheperle said. "We've given money for more people, new ambulances and remodeled the ambulance headquarters. We don't have an unlimited budget. I want us to be an efficient service and do the best that we can."
Hoelscher added: "We lived without being able to take the transfers in the past, and we'll continue now. I've been the one saying I'd like to see revenues go up before we did something, and it's good to see we are starting to see some growth."
"I'll do what the commission wants me to do, but if we would do away with transfers I want to emphasize we would take a tremendous hit in revenues," Johnston said.