Columbiana EMS levy passes, relieving department's chief

The revenue will be used for operations and capital improvements.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
COLUMBIANA -- With voter approval of a 1.5-mill levy for emergency medical services, EMS Chief Tom Farley has one less thing to worry about.
Farley recently learned that his Army National Guard medical unit will be activated in January for duty in Iraq. He is a member of the Columbus-based 118th Medical Battalion's Charlie Company.
Voters approved a request Tuesday that will cost owners of a $100,000 home $54.75 a year to keep EMS operations in the city. The levy is for five years.
Farley had said escalating medical costs and continued reduction in reimbursement by Medicare would ultimately mean the department could no longer afford to operate.
Loss of the local EMS would mean response time in a medical emergency would increase from about five minutes to 12 minutes or more. Private ambulance companies would have to respond from neighboring communities.
Chief's comments
"I'm just glad that we got this taken care of and we're still going to be here," Farley said. He said the department will try to put off buying an ambulance or making other major equipment purchases until at least 2005. That will give some time for revenue from the levy to build up.
Councilman Don Leonard said council will do whatever is possible to ensure the department is funded until revenue from the new tax is available. Collection will start in January.
Mary Louise Dicken, city finance director, has said there is about $1,500 per day available for expenses such as oxygen and drugs used by the EMS personnel.
On the capital-improvements end, the EMS department can begin a rotation schedule to replace aging equipment.
One ambulance will be 10 years old in 2004. The department's second ambulance is a 1999 model.
Farley said the ambulances the department uses cost about $80,000 to $85,000.
"I think that with the stable revenue the people will see a very different department at the end of the five years," Farley said. "We can make a lot of positive changes by then."
Farley said the department has 32 medics and EMTs available. The department had a record month in September with 105 calls. The last record month there were 88 calls, by comparison, he said.
EMS personnel can see days where there are seven calls in one day, then go three or four days with no calls, Farley said. Having money available for EMS services is important because "you can't predict emergencies," he said.
tullis@vindy.com