City fire crews will continue to operate an ambulance in the next year to back up the local ambulance service that has been running short of staff to handle local emergencies.
The Salem City Council unanimously approved the extension Monday, Jan. 23, to give Falck more time to arrange sufficient staffing.
Since early last year, fire crews trained as medics and EMTs have worked overtime shifts to staff a full time extra ambulance.
Brian Carrara, fire department deputy chief of administrative services, said the city won’t be out the estimated $1.4 million expense.
A staff analysis projected that the city will assess $3.15 million in service fees but collect only $1.4 million. That’s because most of the fees are anticipated to be written off through Medicare, Medicaid and uncollected debt, city officials said.
“An ambulance is a great thing because it offsets the revenue that we’re putting out to pay for our personnel,” Carrara said. “That revenue stream that’s coming in as the ambulance is working is covering the total cost of those employees.”
Ambulance revenue typically has a four month delay, due to the time it takes to process payments and insurance. The city expects the books to balance out within six months after it stops operating the ambulance, Carrara said.
A patient who is picked up by the city’s ambulance can expect to pay the same rates as a ride from Falck. Fees for emergency transportation throughout the city recently went up.
Salem needs 15 ambulances available during peak times, such as commuting hours, Fire Chief Mike Niblock told councilors.
Falck, a private emergency response service under contract with the city, added its 14th ambulance in December. The city’s contract requires set hours of ambulance service per week.
Calls for medical help have increased in the city as the population has grown, prompting the city to ask Falck 15 ambulances during discussions beginning around three months ago.
“They are just getting ready to complete their contract negotiations, which should help them better recruit employees,” Niblock said during the Jan. 23 council meeting. “It’s been very difficult to recruit employees in any emergency services the last couple of years. We’re struggling in the fire department, dispatch, medical services, police, everyone’s having troubles.”
Until Falck can staff another unit, the city will use crews on overtime to operate the 15th ambulance.
“Right now we’re balancing the difference between (Falck’s) 14 and our additional medic unit that we’re staffing, and we’re looking at the numbers every week. It’s my intention to take it out of service as soon as possible, but I also have to balance that with having the right number of ambulances in the community to serve the public when they call 911,” Niblock said.
Each ambulance requires four full-time employees, providing for two shifts with a paramedic and an EMT, said Jeff Lucia, Falck’s director of communications in an email to Salem Reporter.
In 2022, Falck recorded 24,840 calls for service, and transported 17,764 patients according to Lucia.
The city’s ambulance, which began operating full time rather than as a back-up in February 2022, had 1,597 calls in the 2021 fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022.
“Our top priority at Falck Northwest is the health and safety of all members of the Salem community, and we are aggressively recruiting paramedics and EMTs via employment websites, social media, job fairs, and visits to paramedic and EMT training programs at Chemeketa Community College, Central Oregon Community College, and the College of Emergency Medical Services,” Lucia said.
What used to be a competitive career is attracting fewer people. Chemeketa has 24 slots at its paramedic school but only 10 students in its most recent class, said Carrara.
Falck’s fleet, and the city’s single ambulance, carry the same equipment. The only difference patients might notice, Carrara said, is the color of the vehicle and uniforms.
“We have an obligation to the citizens of the city to be able to provide an ambulance service that can basically be there 24/7. No matter what, you call and we’ll be there,” Carrara said. “There’s no cost to the city for doing this. It’s actually, it’s a benefit to the city for us to be able to do this, and to be able to do it and not cost the general fund dollars.”
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-704-0355.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
