Boardman Township study of ambulance services continues

By DENISE DICK

denise_dick@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

A fire department report advocating the start of a township-run ambulance service remains in the study phases, and an outside group has been asked to provide input.

In the latest update of the Boardman Plan, a framework of goals township trustees hope to accomplish, the panel listed exploring the feasibility of an in-house ambulance service.

The report initially was presented by the fire department in early 2008. In early 2009, Fire Chief James Dorman also presented a feasibility study to trustees.

That proposal called for one ambulance and says that the service would better serve residents and may produce additional revenue for the township. The proposal included survey information from departments in Howland, Beaver and Liberty townships which operate ambulance services.

Jim Rosa, who leads the Boardman Business Citizens Committee, said the group has agreed to conduct a review, but it hasn’t started yet.

“We will select a few of the members of our group to take care of that effort,” said Rosa, who is a certified public accountant.

He said group members likely will conduct question-and-answer sessions with the chief and others from the department to fully understand the proposal.

“We’ll evaluate, gather facts and have discussion with trustees as far as what our observations are,” Rosa said.

Rather than the group’s meeting in a vacuum and making a recommendation, he prefers the committee’s consulting to be kind of free-flowing, “so what we end up with is a consensus and what makes sense.”

Harry Wolfe, president of the International Association of Firefighters 1176, the union representing township firefighters, is frustrated with the lack of response from the township since the study was presented.

“It’s a shame that that document has been out for two years and the only reply we get from the administration is that the business committee is going to review it,” he said. “It’s just another delay tactic.”

Larry Moliterno, trustees chairman, said that fellow trustees Thomas Costello and Brad Calhoun took office in January. Moliterno has time to review the study, but he believes Costello and Calhoun should have time too.

He declined to list questions, saying he didn’t want to influence what the other trustees would question.

“We’re asking them to look at it,” Moliterno said of the business committee. “We wanted to get some feedback.”

The insurance companies of those who receive ambulance services would be billed as would Medicare or Medicaid where applicable. Township residents, though, wouldn’t be billed for the amount not covered by insurance. Nonresidents would.

The one ambulance likely would be able to respond to only a maximum of 75 percent of all emergency medical service responses.

If the township were able to collect an average of $325 per patient billed, it would generate about $429,650. Billing fees would likely be about 7.5 percent or $32,000, the study says.