Commissioners approve new fund for ambulance service to purchase, replace needed items

The Greene County Ambulance and Paramedic Service now has a special fund to purchase and replace various emergency medical services equipment following passage of an ordinance Tuesday morning by the Greene County Commissioners.

The ordinance establishes the new fund -- EMS Equipment Purchase and Replacement Fund -- effective immediately.

The ordinance outlines that $7,000 per month derived from general EMS revenues will be directed to the new fund starting Oct. 1.

The monies in the account can not be expended except to purchase, upgrade, or replace ambulance vehicles, cots, monitors, computer equipment and other equipment items needed for the operation of the EMS service.

"It's basically a fund that we can buy equipment with," EMS Director David Doane told the commissioners. "Different things that are high dollar."

All expenditures from the account will be subject to appropriation by the Greene County Council.

The EMS director said he talked with county council members about the special fund during the recent budget talks and they were agreeable.

Doane pointed out that the commissioners were approached by a former ambulance service director about 10 years ago to set up similar equipment fund, but the revenues coming weren't high enough to warrant it.

"I think we are doing well enough now that we can afford to do this and have the money available," he added.

Doane, who took over as EMS director last September, presented the commissioners revenue data dating back to the year 2003 to show the progression of money that is coming into the EMS budget.

* 2003 -- $330,288

* 2004 -- $354,523

* 2005 -- $501,608

* 2006 -- $675,493

* 2007 -- $796,716

So far in the first eight months of 2008, the EMS has generated $780,972 and is on track to be eclipse the previous high mark.

Month by month this year, the billings have been: $84,472 for January, $89,577 for February, $99,152 for March, $85,926 for April, $106,686 for May, $74,745 for June, $140,001 for July and $100,410 for August.

In other ambulance-related items, the commissioners opened a single bid that was received for the purchase of a 1998 ambulance vehicle -- which has been designated as surplus and no longer operational.

The lone bid of $205 from Bill Babcock of Bloomfield was tabled because the consensus of the commissioners was the price was too low.

"Basically it's an eyesore and has been sitting behind our Bloomfield station," Doane said. "My choice would be to get rid of it."

Doane was directed by the commissioners to check with local "scrap" companies to see what kind of price could be received from the vehicle which has not been mechanically in running condition for more than a year.

The EMS director was asked to report back his findings at the next regular meeting on Oct. 7.

Doane was also given permission to re-advertise for the sale of a 2006 Trailblazer vehicle, which is no longer needed buy the EMS service. The SUV has 53,304 miles.

No bids were received during the first advertisement.