Missouri Ambulance District Stops Rolling Base Closures

April 08—LINCOLN COUNTY—The board of directors for Lincoln County's ambulance district has voted to discontinue rotating base closures.

The district had been conducting the staffing cutback since August, when a 45-cent tax hike was defeated by voters. The same proposal was defeated in November.

The district operates five ambulances out of four bases in Troy, Winfield, Elsberry and Auburn. Troy, the busiest base, houses two ambulances. During the cutbacks, the minimum staffing was nine.

District officials said at the time that it needed the hike because it was having money problems due to a drop in revenue from property and sales taxes.

But officials now say the economic climate has improved and increased call volume have helped the district's finances enough to cancel the cutbacks.

According to a statement in the district's Facebook page, the base closures saved 3,000 man hours equating to over $35,000 in payroll savings. Other areas of savings included the paramedics and EMTs volunteering time for special events and different way of purchasing new ambulances.

The ambulance district recently got two new ambulances that are being purchased on a lease program. The district reused the ambulance box portion of the ambulance and remounted them on the new chassis, saving $60,000 per ambulance.

In addition, call volume, especially transfers, increased by 36 percent in the month of February.

Officials say expenses will be closely monitored over the next six months and will be re-evaluated at that time.