By Ben Joe
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. — At the request of the Niagara County Legislature, a Rochester-based nonprofit will begin evaluating the emergency services infrastructure of Niagara County this week.
According to 10th District legislator Dave Godfrey, CGR, or Center for Governmental Research, has the experience necessary to assess what model of ambulance coverage would be best for Niagara County. He noted that the county is not required to implement its recommendation.
Godfrey described three basic models of ambulance service. The first is a county-owned model in which paramedics work for the county and accept calls. Another model is private ambulance service contracted by the county. Then there’s the hybrid model, in which the county would fund its own ambulances and private companies continue to have a footprint in the county.
“We’re not sure what the correct model is,” Godfrey said, noting that with the data from CGR, the discussion will become more nuanced.
Godfrey noted that CGR agreed to lower its price for an assessment, to less than $100,000, largely because much of the needed data was already gathered by the Niagara County Emergency Services department.
The legislature is asking for a report from CGR before the beginning of October, when the county’s four-month contract with Mercy EMS expires.
Traditionally, Mercy EMS dedicated three ambulances to service calls in Niagara County. Under its contract with the county, two more ambulances were dedicated. The cost to the county is $500,000, and Mercy EMS will turn over to the county any insurance payments that it receives.
According to Mike Gugliuzza, Mercy EMS director of medical operations, the company’s average daily call volume in Niagara County has increased to 16.1 from 11.9 since the deal went into effect on June 15. The number of those calls requiring transport to a hospital has also increased, to 10.8 from 7.5.
According to spokesman Paul Bishop, CGR has been asked to perform a “comprehensive evaluation” of Niagara County’s EMS needs now and in the future.
“The really key questions we’re being asked to answer are related to a county-run service,” he said. “How big would it be? How big should it be for today? How big will it need to be in the near future, five years from now?”
CGR previously performed EMS evaluations for Ontario and Tioga counties and is currently doing the same for Allegany and Somerset counties and the City of Cheektowaga, Bishop said.
Volunteer fire companies with ambulances are struggling to meet high demand for their services.
On top of the membership challenges faced by all companies, the ones with an ambulance must recruit and retain volunteers who have EMT or higher certification — and then hope they can take the calls, day and night.
That’s a big ask, and increasingly unlikely, according to Chris McClune, fire chief at South Lockport VFC. Most volunteers work during the day, and most employers don’t allow them to leave work so they can go on a volunteer emergency call, he said.
“Also, in order to drive an ambulance you must be an EMT, so even the retirees who have time can’t transport someone to the hospital,” he added.
McClune said Mercy EMS’s additional rigs have been “helpful” but the county’s temporary arrangement with an EMS contractor “hasn’t solved the problem,” and he’s in favor of a county-owned and operated ambulance service.
Godfrey said that while a county-run system may sound like the answer, he’s worried the costs, including pay and benefits for X number of new county employees, could put the county in a financial bind.
“And what if somebody is hurt?” he said. “It’s a tough situation.”
Evaluators from CGR are set to meet with county leadership for two days next week and will continue their work into the fall, Bishop said.
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