Kristen Brown points out The Republic left out details about ambulance level scenarios

The Republic published an article, Ambulance plans differ on subsidy, yesterday, June 27th and Kristen wasn't leaving out the important point the paper seem to overlook.

"A very important point that isn't mentioned is that the level of service by each provider would be identical. One scenario is a city-wide service and a second is for a county-wide service similar to what CRH provides today.

The city-only service is for 3 dedicated advanced life support (ALS) ambulances - each staffed with a paramedic and EMT complying with state and national standards - in city fire stations so that national standards for response times to every household and business in the city are met or exceeded.

The county-wide scenario calls for a fourth dedicated (ALS) ambulance which is the number of dedicated ambulances we have today serving the county. In both, the Fire Department would be in control of personnel for daily tasks and the hospital would have medical control and supervision of personnel regardless of whose logo is painted on the ambulances.

For the county-wide scenario, CRH is dropping their current price tag for 4 dedicated ALS ambulances of $1 million a year to $640K a year. For the exact same level of services: Seals is at $175K a year.

The Fire Department estimates it can do it for less than $100K a year. Trans Care and Rural Metro, the largest ambulance service provider in Indiana and the second largest in the county, would provide the exact same service for zero tax subsidy." -Kristen Brown

With a counter comment calling her out -

"If Mayor Kristen Brown for Mayor of Columbus, Indiana is going to criticize The Republic newspaper for leaving out details, she should probably be more careful with her own. The level of services may be the same, but the duration of subsidies aren't. CRH proposed an option that would require a one time only $300k subsidy.

That means that over the course of 4 years the cost of ambulance service from Mayor Brown's Fire Department? $784,517

Over the same 4 years, Seals would cost us $700,000.

The cost of CRH for the same 4 year period? $300,000

That's quite a detail, don't you think?" - Jay Adams

Tagged: Kristen Brown