Copyright 2005 McClatchy Newspapers Inc.
The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.)
A ride in a York Rescue Squad ambulance no longer will be free as of Jan. 1. But passengers will be getting a higher level of care for their money.
The squad, staffed mostly by volunteers, had reached a fork in the road. Since 1960, it had provided free transport for victims of minor injuries or ailments. But people’s needs and the squads ability to meet them has changed.
The answer was to upgrade the level of care offered and to charge for it. Now, the cost of an ambulance trip will be $200 minimum. It could be more depending on the distance of the trip and the materials used.
Rescue squad officials expect to hear complaints from residents about the new charge. That has been the experience of other area rescue squads that began charging for services.
But the York squad will be offering a great deal more in terms of care for patients. It will add Advanced Life Support to its system, which includes more equipment, enhanced lifesaving services and the addition of a paramedic.
The ambulances and their crews soon will be capable not just of transporting people with non-life-threatening conditions, but of providing far more advanced care. The paramedic can administer heart medication, assist stroke victims and provide emergency care in a variety of situations.
In short, the York squad will offer much the same level of care that most modern urban ambulance services do.
Both the improved care and the need to charge for services are evidence of changing times. As members of the squad attest, they had barely enough funding to cover basic services, much less Advanced Level Support. And they no longer have the pool of volunteers who were available when mills were active and rescue squads could count on the services of shift workers.
Some residents are certain to squawk about the new charge (although much of it is likely to be covered by insurance). But we hope residents also are grateful that the level of care will improve considerably.
We doubt that the average heart attack victim will be giving much thought to that $200 as he or she is being transported by the rescue squad to the hospital.