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Lowellville in early stages of exploring back-up ambulance
By Sarah Lehr
LOWELLVILLE
The village is in the early stages of considering a plan to run a backup ambulance service.
Though negotiations still are tentative, the Lowellville ambulance would respond only when an ambulance run by Rural/Metro, a private company contracted by the village, is not available.
Fire Chief Al Boggia briefed council on the plans Wednesday night, saying it would be similar to a backup ambulance system already run by Cardinal Joint Fire District, which serves Canfield.
As of now, when Rural/Metro cannot send an ambulance to a village call, it will call another ambulance service. But sometimes during peak hours, even another company cannot send an ambulance, Boggia said.
“Rural/Metro is great,” Boggia said. “I can’t say enough positive things about them, but they get so busy, which they can’t help, which sometimes leads to longer wait times.”
Other city officials echoed concerns about wait times.
“It could be 20, 25 minutes here,” Mayor James Iudiciani Sr. said of current response time in the village.
The fire chief emphasized that if the village went ahead with the plan, Rural/Metro still would be the village’s fire dispatch service and the primary ambulance provider.
Lowellville’s ambulance service wouldn’t be a money-making enterprise, Boggia said.
The village has an ambulance, which was a donation and is not yet being used.
Solicitor James E. Lanzo expressed concerns about malpractice lawsuits as a result of the ambulance service, but Boggia said he believes officials would be protected by Ohio Good Samaritan laws.
The village still is reviewing legal, insurance and policy issues related to the ambulance.
“This isn’t a done deal,” Boggia said. “We’re taking baby steps.”