By Paul Kirby
Daily Freeman
KINGSTON, N.Y. — City lawmakers took a significant step Wednesday toward staffing a municipally-run ambulance service after Kingston dropped service by a private company at the end of the year.
The Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee unanimously agreed to recommend shifting $859,595,56 from the city’s fund balance into fire department coffers to add more staff to establish a bona fide city-run ambulance service.
The transfer will need the approval of the full Common Council for it to be put in place.
Members of the finance committee are chairman and Aldermen Reynolds Scott-Children, D- Ward 3, Michael Teiney, D- Ward 2, Bryant “Drew” Andrews, D- Ward 7, Steve Schabot, D- Ward 8, and Alderwoman Sue Parisi, D- Ward 1.
According to Mayor Steve Noble, the funding will be used to hire eight firefighters, which will be three paramedics and five emergency medical technicians, or EMTs.
“The (measure) is the first of our hiring to supplement our City staff as we look to move forward with 24-hour ambulance service in the City of Kingston,” Noble said in an email on Thursday when asked for comment. “I appreciate the support of the finance committee and for allowing us the opportunity to go in-depth on this issue with them (Wednesday) night.”
“This funding will allow us to hire the first 8 paramedics and EMTs that will be needed to supplement our existing staff,” Noble added. “This funding will pay for their salaries and related employee expenses through the end of 2024.”
Noble said that Empress EMS would have charged the city $670,000 for the service.
Noble said that the city will be issuing a request for proposal to hire an insurance billing company “that will provide revenue to offset costs for this program.”
Noble said the estimated amount of revenue collected from patient insurance companies has not yet been determined.
“We expect to have a provider chosen and estimates to base additional hiring decisions on this Spring,” the mayor said.
In addition, a consultant is expected to issue a report detailing the need for a municipally-run ambulance service and what it should entail.
At the finance meeting, City Comptroller John Tuey said that it is likely that the city will be able to collect back revenue on services already provided by the city-run ambulances since the program was started on Jan. 1.
But Tuey said it is unlikely the revenue collected will offset the entire cost of the program.
Tuey added that one of the benefits of the city running its own service is that it is not held “hostage” to the financial whims of a private company on a year-to-year basis.
Scott-Childress, who is the council’s majority leader, said that the new ambulance service has advantages over Empress EMS.
“All Kingston firefighters are EMTs and we have paramedics on staff,” Scott-Childress said in an email on Thursday. “All our Fire Department vehicles can deliver emergency services. Our firefighters, in the first ten days of the new year, have responded to 114 calls with our two current ambulances. The addition of a third ensures we will be able to cover all the City’s needs.”
“Our costs will likely be in line with the contract we were offered by Empress,” Scott-Childress said. “We will be able to build a top-flight ambulance program and control costs without suffering the whims of a private provider. We will be able to hire five more EMTs and three paramedics largely within our current budget parameters. We will be able to build and maintain a quality fleet of ambulances to quickly and efficiently respond to emergencies of all types.”
The use of fund balance to get the program started is a “smart, efficient, and thoroughly appropriate move,” the alderman said.
“The City will be in control of our ambulance services, not a private company,” he added. “We will be able to provide service to all our residents regardless of their ability to pay.”
In late December, Noble announced that the Kingston Fire Department would be responding to all calls.
The move replaced Empress EMS, which took over in June when it purchased Mobile Life Support Services, the company that had serviced the city until then.
Noble said ambulance service “will be provided to all those who live, work, or visit the City of Kingston regardless of whether they have insurance or the ability to pay.”
The city has “three paramedics and more than EMTs in the fire department, all with extensive training,” Noble said.
He said that most calls “require a BLS (basic life support) unit and so that was generally what we saw used here in Kingston. We believe two ambulances will meet most needs here.”
In the event of a mass casualty incident “the Kingston Fire Department will respond to requests for assistance to other communities. ... We work extremely well with all of our neighbors, especially in their time of need,” Noble said.
In the meantime, Noble said the current fire department budget “will handle any overtime costs that might arise and so no additional funding is needed until more staffing is hired.”
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