By Kristi Reed
In an effort to provide better emergency service delivery to the citizens of Barrow County, the fire department contracted with a private ambulance service, Pro Care EMS, last October to provide non-emergency medical transport.
Healan, Post argue over use of Pro Care
According to Barrow County Fire and Emergency Services Chief Robert Post, utilizing Pro Care EMS has enabled Barrow County units to respond to calls when previously they would have been out of service for one to two hours transporting non-emergency patients to area hospitals.
As a result, the average response time for medical calls has decreased from ten to 12 minutes to under eight minutes, the national standard for advanced life support emergency care.
The decision to utilize a private ambulance service came under fire Tuesday night when Dist. 3 commissioner Bill Healan questioned why the county should lose the revenue previously generated by ambulance transports.
In the past year, Pro Care has transported over 800 patients. Healan said the $800,000 in lost revenue could be used by the county.
Post said the loss in revenue has been offset by improved service, fuel savings and a reduction in out of service times which eliminates the need to rely on units from Gwinnett, Jackson and Hall counties to respond when Barrow units are unavailable.
“Yes, it is a reduction in revenue, but, on the other hand, our units are available in the county to answer calls. How do you put a price on that,” asked Post.
“You can’t put a price on that, but we’re working with revenue here,” Healan retorted. “The revenues collected from various departments all figures into our budget and $800,000 is a pretty good chunk. And you did it without board approval.”
Post said he had approval from his supervisor to implement the plan.
Dist. 2 commissioner Bill Brown expressed his support for the use of Pro Care. According to Brown, the first day Pro Care was in use, a Barrow County unit was dispatched to a cardiac arrest within a minute after transferring a patient to Pro Care. The Barrow County unit reached the cardiac arrest patient within three minutes and was able to administer life-saving emergency medical care.
Had Pro Care not been available to transport the non-emergency patient to Gwinnett Medical Center, the next closest unit to the patient in cardiac arrest would have been ten minutes away, Brown said.
Brown also said the revenue generated by the county was not guaranteed since many of the ambulance bills go unpaid.
“We’re talking may have done this, may have done that, but we absolutely, positively, don’t have $800,000,” Healan said.
Post said that was true, but explained he did not have the staff to operate six ambulances.
Healan suggested Post should reorganize his department since medical units are called more often than fire trucks.
In response, Post said that the only way to accomplish Healan’s suggestion would be to take fire trucks out of service and risk negatively impacting the county’s insurance (ISO) rating which is based on the number of fire trucks and the staff allocated to each truck.
County commission chairman Doug Garrison voiced his support for Post saying that even though the county may not receive the revenue from ambulance transports, the citizens were receiving better service.
“It’s more complicated than just a dollar business,” he said.
After Garrison attempted to move the discussion to another topic, a visibly angry Healan intervened claiming he was “under attack” by Post. Post immediately apologized.
“There was no intention of attacking you,” Post said. “My job as a fire chief is to provide emergency service to the citizens of Barrow County and that’s what I am trying to do with very, very limited resources.”
“You are in a small county, sir,” said Healan. “You get limited resources in a small county.”
The fire department’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 is $6.9 million. The department had requested $8.3 million in funding. Among the items cut from the 2009 budget are 23 positions, including personnel for the county’s new aerial ladder truck slated for delivery in late December.
Without the additional personnel, the truck will be unmanned, Post said.
“Without this additional staffing, we’re not going to be able to put that truck in service,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure you were aware of that.”
The Barrow County Board of Commissioners will vote on the proposed 2009 budget at its September 23 meeting. A public hearing on the budget will be held Thursday, September 18 at 6 p.m. in the board room of the Barrow County Administration Building located at 233 East Broad Street in Winder.
As a result, the average response time for medical calls has decreased from ten to 12 minutes to under eight minutes, the national standard for advanced life support emergency care.
The decision to utilize a private ambulance service came under fire Tuesday night when Dist. 3 commissioner Bill Healan questioned why the county should lose the revenue previously generated by ambulance transports.
In the past year, Pro Care has transported over 800 patients. Healan said the $800,000 in lost revenue could be used by the county.
Post said the loss in revenue has been offset by improved service, fuel savings and a reduction in out of service times which eliminates the need to rely on units from Gwinnett, Jackson and Hall counties to respond when Barrow units are unavailable.
“Yes, it is a reduction in revenue, but, on the other hand, our units are available in the county to answer calls. How do you put a price on that,” asked Post.
“You can’t put a price on that, but we’re working with revenue here,” Healan retorted. “The revenues collected from various departments all figures into our budget and $800,000 is a pretty good chunk. And you did it without board approval.”
Post said he had approval from his supervisor to implement the plan.
Dist. 2 commissioner Bill Brown expressed his support for the use of Pro Care. According to Brown, the first day Pro Care was in use, a Barrow County unit was dispatched to a cardiac arrest within a minute after transferring a patient to Pro Care. The Barrow County unit reached the cardiac arrest patient within three minutes and was able to administer life-saving emergency medical care.
Had Pro Care not been available to transport the non-emergency patient to Gwinnett Medical Center, the next closest unit to the patient in cardiac arrest would have been ten minutes away, Brown said.
Brown also said the revenue generated by the county was not guaranteed since many of the ambulance bills go unpaid.
“We’re talking may have done this, may have done that, but we absolutely, positively, don’t have $800,000,” Healan said.
Post said that was true, but explained he did not have the staff to operate six ambulances.
Healan suggested Post should reorganize his department since medical units are called more often than fire trucks.
In response, Post said that the only way to accomplish Healan’s suggestion would be to take fire trucks out of service and risk negatively impacting the county’s insurance (ISO) rating which is based on the number of fire trucks and the staff allocated to each truck.
County commission chairman Doug Garrison voiced his support for Post saying that even though the county may not receive the revenue from ambulance transports, the citizens were receiving better service.
“It’s more complicated than just a dollar business,” he said.
After Garrison attempted to move the discussion to another topic, a visibly angry Healan intervened claiming he was “under attack” by Post. Post immediately apologized.
“There was no intention of attacking you,” Post said. “My job as a fire chief is to provide emergency service to the citizens of Barrow County and that’s what I am trying to do with very, very limited resources.”
“You are in a small county, sir,” said Healan. “You get limited resources in a small county.”
The fire department’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 is $6.9 million. The department had requested $8.3 million in funding. Among the items cut from the 2009 budget are 23 positions, including personnel for the county’s new aerial ladder truck slated for delivery in late December.
Without the additional personnel, the truck will be unmanned, Post said.
“Without this additional staffing, we’re not going to be able to put that truck in service,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure you were aware of that.”
The Barrow County Board of Commissioners will vote on the proposed 2009 budget at its September 23 meeting. A public hearing on the budget will be held Thursday, September 18 at 6 p.m. in the board room of the Barrow County Administration Building located at 233 East Broad Street in Winder.
to continue to clean the slate.
Also, what's more important? The supposed "lost" revenue or a multi-million dollar lawsuit for shoddy services resulting in a death??
Let me put it this way: Envision your house on fire, or your loved one having a heart attack while you are screaming at the 911 dispatcher to get you some help. Where are your priorities then? The County Budget shortfall, or the human life or property you are trying to save? Ladies and Gentlemen, financial budgets can be modified....a human life can't.
Saving lives and property, trumps budgets every time, no matter which county you live in.
It takes a special group of folks to man the equipment and go out each and every day and put THEIR lives on the line to save ours. Don't you think they deserve the very best equipment and manpower we can provide? In my humble opinion the answer is YES!! I for one, am proud of those who serve on EMS and Fire crews. God bless you and your families.
Chairman Garrison is correct. It is more complicated than just a dollar business.
Mr. Healan, if you are trying to argue that saving lives and property must be balanced with a reduced budget, for the sake of being fiscally responsible, I am afraid your tenure on the BOC will be a short one.
Respectfully submitted,
DuWayne R. Anderson
Winder, GA
Respectfully,
Lt. Ernest P. Weant
Respectfully,
Chris Smith
Care and I'm very proud of him for his ability and compassion that for what he does.It takes a special person to handle what all our Firefighters,EMT and Paramedics do and see in the cource of a days work.
Mr. Healen, why don't you ask the parents of a 2 year old
how they felt after a Paramedic & EMT for Pro Care revived
their child and had it air lifted to Eaglesten where it
was able to be released the next day
I have on many occassions publicly expressed my admiration for and my thanks to the men and women who dedicate themselves to securing our public safety.
I apologize if I gave the impression that I was being critical of employees of either the Barrow County Fire and EMS or Pro Care. That was certainly not my intent.
I was and remain critical of the actions of all who were involved in this plan and who allowed its unauthorized use to continue for almost a year.
This decision by one person resulted in the loss of funds that could have been used for the raises of all employees of Barrow County. This is why a decision of this magnitude must be made by the Board of Commissioners.
I trust with the new Chairman coming on board to assist honest commissioners, that the county will be turned around.
IGNORE THE "YOU SCRATCH MY BACK & I'LL SCRATCH YOUR BACK" PEOPLE THAT HAS GOTTEN BARROW COUNTY IN THE SHAPE IT IS IN TODAY.
****KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BILL****