EMSA Lobbies to Continue as Oklahoma City`s Service

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Aug. 17--The Emergency Medical Services Authority on Tuesday defended its past and future to the Oklahoma City Council, saying the public trust remains the best and cheapest way to provide the city and surrounding communities with paramedic services.

EMSA President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Williamson stood before the council for about an hour and a half Tuesday to present the city with reasons why it should continue using EMSA for the service.

The city's fire department is vying to replace EMSA and made its case at a council workshop last month.

EMSA, Oklahoma City and Tulsa participate in a trust that oversees paramedic services in both cities and many of their suburbs. A one-month window of opportunity opens in October that allows any of the three entities to opt out, and Oklahoma City is exploring its options.

EMSA, fire officials differ on savings

At the forefront of Williamson's presentation to the council was a cost analysis that was in sharp contrast to the one Fire Chief Keith Bryant provided council members in July.

The fire department estimated it could save the city about $1 million per year by fiscal year 2015 if the city asks it to provide paramedic services, but EMSA disagrees with the numbers and says it could provide similar savings to the city.

An independent review of the finances by city officials is ongoing and expected to be presented to the council next month.

But Bryant and Williamson agree that the city could save plenty of money by streamlining its dispatch system, no matter what the council decides about paramedic services.

Officials estimate the fire department, which automatically responds initially to all medical calls along with EMSA, goes on about 20,000 calls per year unnecessarily, and a new dispatch system could eliminate redundancy.

Questions remain

The issue is expected to be revisited at multiple council meetings through the end of October, when the city must decide if it wants a change.

Paramedic services in the suburbs could be hanging in the balance, because EMSA could be prohibitively expensive for them without Oklahoma City in the system, and they could be left to find their own paramedic services or even contract with Oklahoma City's fire department in the future.

Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid subjected Williamson to about 20 minutes of questioning, mainly about the way EMSA achieves its city-defined goals.

Shadid implied that EMSA finds ways to achieve its goals with the financial bottom line in mind, but Williamson insisted that clinical care takes priority.

If the city chooses to opt out of the trust with EMSA and Tulsa, EMSA would still provide paramedic services for every city it serves until Nov. 1, 2013.

The trust is only dissolved if all three entities opt out, so Tulsa and other communities could soldier on without Oklahoma City if they choose.

Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, Bethany, The Village, Nichols Hills, Warr Acres, Piedmont, Arcadia, Lake Aluma and Valley Brook also use EMSA in the Oklahoma City area, along with the Tulsa suburbs of Bixby, Jenks and Sand Springs.