Oklahmoma City Cites Cost of Proposed Ambulance Switch

Putting the Oklahoma City Fire Department in charge of ambulance service would cost taxpayers a minimum of about $2 million more during the next seven years, city staffers said in a report released Tuesday.

Depending on what option Oklahoma City Council members chose, the cost could be about $7 million more, the report shows.

City council members have until the end of October to decide whether to continue the Emergency Medical Services Authority partnership with local communities and Tulsa or hand over ambulance service to the fire department.

Oklahoma City will pay $3.4 million to subsidize EMSA this year. The subsidy is more than double what it was when the city began paying it in 1999. Backers of the switch claim the move would be beneficial for city residents because it would give the fire department control of how medical emergencies are handled.

Some backers also say the fire department could operate ambulances more cheaply by using firefighters.

Supporters point out that today, all Oklahoma City firefighters are qualified as emergency medical technicians. The city has 149 firefighters who have the additional year or more of training required for paramedic certification.

They also note the city recently has bought EMSA's ambulances as part of the subsidy.

Fire Chief Keith Bryant said Tuesday the costs would be high if the city assumed ambulance services from EMSA during the next two years, however.

The fire department would need to hire 95 new employees, including 86 additional firefighters, to take over ambulance service.

On average, the city expects to pay EMSA a subsidy of about $4.7 million a year through 2013. The cost of switching ambulance service to the fire department would average between $5 million and $6 million a year during the same period.

The city would pay about $6.4 million in 2008 and between $9.6 million and $10.7 million in 2009, according to the report. After 2009, the additional cost to the fire department would be less than the subsidy required by EMSA, the study shows.

Stephen Williamson, EMSA president and chief executive officer, said the study validates what EMSA has been doing in Oklahoma City.

"When we are compared anywhere in the United States, we are providing the highest level of care at the lowest cost to the city and the patients," Williamson said.

EMSA employs 204 people in the Oklahoma City area, including 73 full-time paramedics and 72 emergency medical technicians.

The report also looked at the cost of using firefighter paramedics with EMSA personnel. The combined approach would rely on the fire department to provide the more highly-trained paramedics while continuing to employ emergency medical technicians through EMSA.

The report also proposes using civilian emergency medical technicians who aren't part of EMSA - this option would cost the least of any of the fire department plans - but it still would cost more than what it would cost to stay with EMSA.

The city is currently paying the EMSA subsidy out of its general fund, made up mostly of sales tax revenue. Another option would be forming an ambulance district, which would collect money from property taxes.

Mark Schwartz, attorney for the city's firefighters union and a former city councilman, said shifting ambulance service to the fire department could have other benefits.

He expects other cities that currently depend on EMSA will end up contracting with Oklahoma City for their ambulance service.

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