Residents of Harrison, Brackenridge and Tarentum will pay a municipal ambulance bill beginning next year after the creation of the Alle-Kiski Emergency Service Authority.
In return, officials guaranteed long-term sustainability of the two local providers: Eureka Community Ambulance and Citizens Hose EMS.
“We see (ambulance companies) going out of business every day,” consultant Rob Brady said. “We don’t want that to happen here.”
Tarentum Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf said the creation of a paid authority prevents “the inevitable failure” of Eureka and Citizens due to “meager” insurance reimbursements, low recruitment and soaring operating costs.
Heads of the three municipalities voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the service during a special meeting at the Brackenridge American Legion.
The cost to homeowners is tentatively set at $85 a year. The fee is scheduled to begin in January.
There will be a hearing this summer to determine exact fees.
“It comes out to about $7 a month,” Brady said, adding that two gallons of gas costs more.
Churches and some other entities will be exempt from the fee.
Renters will not be billed, but property owners can choose whether to pass the cost on.
Insurances will still be billed, but the new authority will forgive 50% of the co-payments for each call.
Brady outlined the plight of ambulance services and said the problem isn’t limited to Western Pennsylvania.
Rock-bottom insurance reimbursements are the main culprit. Officials said they hover around 40% to 60% of total costs.
“For a $1,200 bill, we might get $450 back,” Brady said.
Add to that a less than 25% return on household subscriptions and exorbitant operating costs.
“A mechanized stretcher is about $45,000,” he said. “Ambulances are as expensive as firetrucks in some cases. It’s not unusual to see an ambulance that costs $300,000 to $400,000. It’s astronomical.”
Harrison resident Tom Leyland said he is “100% for the paid authority” but believes legislators need to be working harder to find funding avenues.
“We need this,” he said. “Trying to get people to donate is hard. Do people realize the actual cost of putting an ambulance on the road?
“They need our help if we want them to be there when we call.”
The vote will merge Eureka and Citizens, the details of which will be released in the coming months. Both companies have served the area for more than 90 years.
Pooled resources are expected to provide faster response times, better coverage and increased retention. Duplicate costs will be eliminated as well.
“This vote reassures our residents that they will have ambulance service for the next 90 years,” Citizens EMS Chief Jim Erb said.
Combined, the two agencies respond to about 4,500 calls a year.
The cost of readiness — training, manpower and equipment — is about $2.4 million a year. The service fee to be enacted in January will ensure that funding is in place, Boddorf said.
The new EMS authority will provide response, stand-by service for special events such as parades or festivals, and public education events.
“This is the result of lots and lots of conversations,” Tarentum Council President Scott Dadowski said. “But that’s the way it should be when we are making decisions that affect everyone.”
The three municipalities voted to appoint two representatives each to the new authority board and one joint municipal representative. The terms will be staggered.
“This vote was not a matter of convenience,” Brady said. “This is making sure that when someone calls 911, help shows up.”