Background

Emergency medical services (EMS) is a system to provide out-of-hospital medical care and transportation for individualssuffering from acute illness and injury

There is no requirement within New York State law for localgovernment to ensure the provision of emergency medicalservices

Deposit Emergency Squad, Windsor Emergency Services, Inc.,and Colesville Volunteer Ambulance Service are currently theprimary ambulance service providers in Eastern BroomeCounty

Broome Volunteer Emergency Squad and Superior AmbulanceService, Inc. frequently provide mutual aid from the City ofBinghamton when the primary ambulance service is unable torespond

Policy Alternatives

The goal of examining various policy alternatives was toidentify a recommendation to offer the municipalities ofEastern Broome County to improve the delivery of emergencymedical services, by improving call coverage, in a mannerwhich is affordable, sustainable, and gives the localgovernments oversight of service delivery

Take No Action

Consolidated Nonprofit Ambulance Service Contracted With Eastern Broome County Municipalities

Problem Definition

Ineffective levels of ambulance call coverage in easternBroome County by the primary ambulance services causesignificantly increased response times, which can result inharm to patients who need time-critical emergency medicalcare

Eastern Broome County EMS agencies face long-termsustainability issues because they are underfinanced andhighly reliant upon volunteers

Windsor Deposit ColesvilleEffective Call CoverageAffordable Municipal Cost X X XMunicipal Oversight XLong-Term Sustainability X

Windsor Deposit ColesvilleEffective Call Coverage X X XAffordable Municipal Cost X X XMunicipal Oversight X X XLong-Term Sustainability X X X

Recommendation

A consolidation between Windsor, Deposit, and Colesvilleambulance services as a single nonprofit ambulance servicewith an around-the-clock paid advanced life support crew willimprove call coverage and response times, which may result inlives being saved

Eastern Broome County municipalities should contract withthe consolidated ambulance service and each provide $10,000in funding to subsidize the operating deficit

Performance Measurement Financial Analysis

A consolidated ambulance service created by a mergerbetween Windsor, Deposit, and Colesville is forecasted toproduce $505,941 annually from billing for services rendered

A consolidated ambulance service created by a mergerbetween Windsor, Deposit, and Colesville is forecasted to cost$550,000 in annual operating expenses, creating an operatingdeficit of approximately $44,059

0%

20%

40%

60%

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100%

2012 2013 2014 2015

EMS Call Coverage in Eastern Broome County

Deposit Emergency Squad

Windsor Emergency Services

Colesville Volunteer Ambulance Service

Expected Citizen Attitudes

The published literature shows public support for emergencyservices is high and citizens are willing to pay, in the form oftaxes, for the service to be available (Donahue & Miller, 2006;Herian, 2014). Donahue & Miller (2006) found, “The wealthy,the highly educated, and the young are willing to pay more toimprove public safety than are their counterparts.”

Belief in the importance of emergency services and trust inemergency services personnel are positive predictors ofwillingness to pay for service, while service quality does notinfluence willingness to pay (Donahue & Miller, 2006).Support for providing emergency services also remains highindependent of the level of trust in the government providingthe service (Herian, 2014).

MEDICARE / MEDICARE HMO $237,799MEDICAID / MEDICAID HMO $23,833COMMERCIAL INSURANCE $118,111AUTO INSURANCE $71,838WORKERS COMP INSURANCE $5,345PRIVATE PAY $49,011TOTAL REVENUE $505,941