S.C. County Weighs Privatizing Ambulance Service

Jan. 31--CONWAY -- Horry County Fire Rescue Chief Fred Crosby wants ambulance companies to pay to play in Horry County when it comes to special events, starting with the Atlantic Beach Bikefest.

Though the move would save the county thousands of dollars in labor, several councilmen aren't buying the plan and think ambulance companies should meet with the county to see if a voluntary pilot program could provide an answer.

Crosby's proposed franchise agreement is simple: If a company wants to run its ambulance service in Horry County, pay Horry County $1,000, plus $100 per ambulance and volunteer to work festivals -- starting with the highly scrutinized Atlantic Beach Bikefest -- and deal with tourists who have left the area not paying millions of dollars in ambulance bills in years past.

"What we're really interested in is that we can enter into some public and private partnerships," Crosby said. "Our overtime has certainly been an issue in the news recently, and one of the things that we're looking at with this as a way to control costs to be able to have agreements in place where we can use these for-profits for special events..."

"What we're originally looking at, the original test would be Bikefest preparations coming up. We feel like we have to put up significantly more resources with the traffic loop and all to cover. What we're looking then is bringing in those ambulances for that special event."

Crosby's plan, which was unveiled last week at a public safety meeting, included lending county radios to the companies to allow for communication with the county. It also stated the companies would provide the service at no cost to the county, and required the private companies to bill what the county would bill, which is typically lower than what private companies have been billing, Crosby said.

The proposed ordinance also begs the question of the future of emergency management services and whether the county is leaning toward privatizing the service full-time countywide.

Crosby said privatization is easier said than done. He said ambulance service provided by the county offers service for the poor and elderly at more affordable rates than a for-profit company. He said there is a big risk when government entities switch ambulance service to private companies.

"I would not be in a position to recommend that you do that because I don't know where the industry is going," Crosby said. "You could very easily find yourself going down that path and end up with nothing."

Chris Eldridge, county administrator, said being a tourist destination plays a big role in privatizing the service, and also contracting out special events during the busy summer months.

"Our challenge as a community is the call volume swings 25 percent between the summer and the winter," Eldridge said. "So the challenge there is staffing for a summer call load when winter is low. ... You're trying to find that efficiency when you know it's hard to make it efficient when you have that demand swing depending on the time of the year."

Another challenge the private companies would face if they are contracted to cover special events is collecting from out-of-state visitors who spend a weekend on the Grand Strand and then head home, sometimes leaving emergency services bills.

Horry County has had to write off more than $5.1 million in emergency services bills from 2011 alone. The county's transport billings have grown from $8.4 million in 2007 to $16.2 million in 2011, and so has its write-off amount: from $2.2 million to $5.1 million, respectively.

Councilman Marion Foxworth asked what happened if visitors of the special events did not pay their bill. Crosby said it would be the same as if they were not paying the county.

"They have to eat it the same way we have to eat ours," Crosby said.

That prompted Foxworth to ask why any private business would enter into this agreement.

"The incentive is to run a franchise in Horry County, you have to" participate, Crosby said. "To be able to operate an ambulance business in Horry County, you have to be willing to operate on mutual aid for us."

That didn't sit well with Foxworth.

"I don't like this idea," Foxworth said. "If we're going to do it, why not do it all the way. Let's just do away with EMS and contract out the whole service. To me, you're mixing apples and oranges here. I think ambulance service has been a problem ... for a long time, and we've been behind the eight ball trying to provide a growing need with a shrinking pool of resources."

Crosby wanted to start the program with Atlantic Beach Bikefest, when the department has all but one of its ambulance units east of the Intracoastal Waterway at one time.

"That will happen again this year," Crosby said.

Eldridge said, "So that's why we're trying to find some means to do this that the county could afford."

Councilman Bob Grabowski did not support the idea either, and suggested a pilot program where this was voluntary for the privately owned ambulance companies.

"Now if we made it voluntary ... a voluntary system to see how many of these private companies think that they can make money, then maybe we can move forward," Grabowski said.

Theresa Picard, owner of Advance Medical Transport, who was not at the meeting, said Friday she is in talks with Crosby about his proposal and declined to comment publicly on the subject until she met with him further.

Grabowski and Councilman Al Allen said meeting with the owners of the ambulance companies can play a key role in finding a middle ground.

"They're certainly motivated to come in and have input if we're going to start charging them money," Grabowski said. "What they come up with may not be the best, but maybe we can come up with something."

Crosby said either way, something needs to get done to control the county's expenses.

"What this is is a partial step," Crosby said. "I'm trying to offer every deal I have to try and control overtime. We're looking at everything that's on the table as to how we can control these costs."

Contact JASON M. RODRIGUEZ at 626-0301 or on Twitter @TSN_JRodriguez.

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