City approves EMS contract

SANDPOINT — Bonner County Emergency Medical Services will continue to be backed up by the fire department in the coming year.

City officials have approved a $25,000 contract to the Sandpoint Fire Department for its continued services in responded to medical emergencies. The contract will provide the city with an incentive to continue its standard responses to medical calls as well as county requests for service from a backup ambulance.

City Council members approved the contract at the last regular meeting of September. However, Councilwoman Carrie Logan worried it might not be sufficient to cover the full expenses to the city. According the Fire Chief Robert Tyler, there were 28 calls for a back-up ambulance with 18 of them covered by Sagle Fire District. However, the overtime costs associated with backup ambulance services weren’t clear.

“I’m sure there’s going to be overtime,” City Treasurer Shannon Syth said. “However, it’s going to take management on (Chief Tyler’s) part to  make sure that those costs stay within budget.”

Tyler also pointed out that the contract is specifically designed to compensate for the housing of the spare ambulance. Bonner County EMS billing covers the costs associated with the actual use of the vehicle. According to Bonner County EMS Chief Robert Wakeley, compensation breaks down to 57 percent from Medicare or Medicaid, 17 percent from Blue Cross, 14 percent from private health insurance and 12 percent from uninsured individuals. The service maintains a collection rate of 87.6 percent.

Since the contract only has a one-year life span, it’s possible to collect more accurate financial records to use for renegotiations. Furthermore, Wakeley confirmed that nothing in the contract forces the Fire Department to respond to calls. Fire department officials can still refuse requests for service.     

“It’s the most favorable contract we have for anyone in the system,” Wakeley said.

The contract will help patch up a hole in the department’s volunteer incentive fund. A pot of money designed to compensate volunteers for expenses associated with their service and provide motivation for active participation, the fund depended on a contract from the county to remain operational.

Council members approved the contract with a dissenting vote from Logan, who opposed the measure due to a possibility for unanticipated costs to the city.

“There are too many unknowns that could have a huge potential negative impact,” she said.