Looking for Direction from all of you!

Dear fellow local residents,

As you may already know, I sit as the Chairperson of the Fort Mojave Mesa Fire District Board of Directors. There is currently an issue that I feel needs to be addressed to the public for their much appreciated input.

Currently our local “non-profit” fire departments have been essentially operating a medical “taxi” service for the local “for profit” hospitals and insurance companies.

What I’m referring to is what is called an “inter-facility transport”. This basically means someone is already checked into the local hospital, but they need a special test or procedure that cannot be done locally. The patient is already admitted and the hospital and/or insurance company has authorized the payment of an ambulance to transport the patient to another medical facility. Even though the patient may not be in any life threatening situation, the patient must be accompanied by a paramedic EMT in a licensed ambulance to the other medical facility, for all the obvious reasons of liability.

The argument FOR being in the “non-emergency medical taxi service” is that these “inter-facility transports” generate income to the Fire Districts. Some would argue that’s a good thing, as it helps defer the costs to the taxpayers. Hmmm. Does it really?

After all the costs involved in operating such a “enterprise”, I truly wonder if the Districts “profits” are real or simply perceived. You have to bring back off duty paramedics or have special staffing for this “service”. It takes a local ambulance(s) “out of service” in the district it’s supposed to be serving.

Also, paramedics that may have just got off a shift, that normally would be resting up for their next “on duty” shift (where hopefully they’ll be well rested and ready to save lives) or they could be called back to work. Not to protect our local residents, but instead, called back to take someone to Las Vegas in a Fire District ambulance acting as a medial taxi for four or five hours for a local for profit hospital. Do they get time and a half for that? Yes. Most fire service folks I’ve talked to didn’t sign up to be “medical cabbys”

Do they put miles and extra wear and tear on our taxpayer purchased ambulances? Yes. Does this practice wear out our emergency vehicles much faster than normal? Yes. Does it leave less emergency equipment in the local area? Yes. Does this “service” require more “administrative staff“ to conduct its business? Yes.

But I think the major issue here is profit vs. public safety and liability. There is also the issue of letting the free market operate freely, but I’ll get to that in a moment. Back to the profit vs. public safety. Does providing this service take personnel and emergency equipment outside the district for non-emergencies? Yes it does. If God forbid there ever was a real disaster here that required all of the areas resources to respond. How many ambulances and paramedics would be “out of service” on a “taxi run”? For me, one is too many. Taxpayers pay taxes to be protected with all the resources they have paid for.

Then there is the “unnecessary” liability factor.

Check this potential scenario out; The local fire district is called in to do a “private” medical inter-facility transport. Remember this isn’t a call for service from a member of the public or an emergency 911 call, this is a call from a “for profit” health care provider to provide medical non emergency transport. Say that the patient must be transported to Las Vegas, during the trip in the hottest part of the summer, the ambulance breaks down between Searchlight and Vegas. There is no air conditioning and the patient takes a turn for the worse, even though another ambulance has been called and is rushing to the scene, the patient dies. Who do you think would be sued? The local fire district is a pretty good bet. Why should we extend the taxpayers liability beyond first responder emergency services? I don’t think the profits would be worth it.


Now to the free market issue. There ARE private ambulance companies that CAN and want to perform this private service for these private health care providers to do inter-facilty transports and other emergency calls if needed. But the local Fire Districts have to give these private companies the okay. They won’t. Why? Can anyone say monopoly??

Why not allow a private ambulance companies to be in our area? It absolutely WILL make our communities safer. Why? Because they [private ambulance companies] will have paramedics and EMTs and fully equipped ambulances standing by in our community. All of our fire and rescue resources would be in district, while the private “for profit” companies work for the private “for profit” companies and the Public fire service would be serving “the Public” The local fire service should not be a “vendor“ for private healthcare providers. The public should be the fire services one and only customer.

This next point is VERY important as to providing better public safety. Consider this;

Should we really need them[private ambulances] in a real big event, they would already be stationed in the area at the ready to supplement our local fire district ambulances. It means more boots on the ground folks. I can’t see it as a bad thing.

I want your input on this topic. If I’m wrong on this one. I’ll be the first to admit it.

Email me at: ktox1340@hotmail.com