Rescue Me

As the old adage goes: If it’s not broken, then don’t fix it. And when just about every cog in the machine is showing signs of wear, it’s generally a bad idea to replace the only one that isn’t.

Such is the case in Saratoga Springs, where just about every city department has a fair amount of dysfunction in dire need of correction. So leave it to Ron Kim, the city’s Public Safety rube, to suggest replacing what some would consider the only piece of the department that seems to be working rather well.

In a brazen moment of stupidity, Kim suggested Monday the city bid out its ambulance service contract. Historically, the city has depended on the tried-and-true Saratoga Emergency Medical Services Inc., a private not-for-profit ambulance corps that has hauled patients at no cost to the city. Kim’s perplexing decision to send the contract out to bid –for the first time in city history –opens the door for a private for-profit ambulance company to come in and offer a pitch that SEMS would be unable to match.

Kim, in his infinitely dizzying intellect, believes the city can cash in on some of the business SEMS does. Apparently, he sees unclaimed cash racing up Van Dam Street every time an ambulance makes the mad dash to Saratoga Hospital.

“Our thinking at this point is that if we’re going to copy cities around us, they bid out the service, and the cities get something for it,” Kim told the Saratogian Monday. “It’s not unlike what you do with cable providers.”

The only difference is a cable provider brings shows like “Sex in the City” and “24” into homes, and the ambulance service brings semi-conscious profusely bleeding patients to where that can receive life-saving care. In short, the ambulance service is not a revenue cash cow, nor should it be viewed as one.

Saratoga Springs is one of the few municipalities in New York that has not suffered from the emergency medical services crisis that has wrought havoc on the state for more than a decade. SEMS, which was once an all-volunteer service, was among the more fortunate ambulance companies that made a successful transition to a paid, not-for-profit service. The fact that the city doesn’t subsidize the ambulance company with anything more than its rent at the fire department’s West Avenue substation is simply astounding.

Some will argue the not-for-profit model of the ambulance service is antiquated and in need of replacement by the for-profit model, which seems to be proliferating as operating costs choke the volunteer companies out of existence by. Generally, these folks are on the payroll of Mohawk Ambulance, a company listens carefully to the wind for the drivel now spewing from Kim’s mouth.

Simply put, Mohawk can quickly become the only option once municipality kicks a not-for-profit ambulance company to the curb. Once an ambulance company is liquidated, there’s no going back. The costs associated with creating such a service would be beyond the means of any town, city or village, much less one that’s facing a potential certain $1.9 million revenue shortfall.

Kim’s early talk has also spurred the city firefighters into suggesting they might start hauling patients from the east side of the city, where SEMS lacks any sort of rescue station. John Betor, an assistant chief with the city fire department, claims the firefighters could get into the business of hauling patients when SEMS is busy. He says the ambulance corps usually relies on outside agencies –a process called “mutual aid” –about twice a week. Because there is no other nearby ambulance service, mutual aid calls can sometimes take upwards of 20 minutes in response time, Betor explained. He suggested the city augment SEMS by having its own ambulance on the road.

“They do have times when they can’t respond and we have to wait for outside help to respond,” he said. “No one should have to wait for an outside agency.”

Here’s the problem: The city can’t afford to dabble in ambulance business. Even if there was a multi-million dollar budget surplus and property taxes were at or about zero, the city endeavoring into the meat wagon practice is a liability no sensible auditor would suggest.

In truth, the answer lies with establishing a badly needed substation on Saratoga’s eastside, and then stowing an additional SEMS ambulance at it. Strangely enough, the city has prescribed this in the latest firefighter contract, which Kim negotiated himself. But why bother getting bogged down with details.

The bottom line is tinkering with a functional ambulance service is a recipe for disaster. Once again, Kim has opened Pandora’s Box to cause a litany of problems and hassle for the city council to weed through, rather than focusing on the desperate needs at hand. As residents, we can all hope that the election November comes before Kim can get his fumbling fingers around the one cog that does appear to be working properly.