Public favors private ambulance service

RONAN — The Ronan Ambulance Service should go private.

That was the consensus Tuesday night at public comment session regarding the privatization of the city's volunteer ambulance service.

Ronan City Council members have been mulling over the idea for several months now, after RAS members appeared before the board at a city council meeting and gave them an ultimatum; hire head volunteer Greg Sheumaker full-time to manage the service or they'll turn themselves over to the privately operated Polson Ambulance Service.

Due to the shortage of volunteers and the ever increasing amount of calls, the volunteer service is in need of change, explained volunteer Nick Burns.

"It went from 300 calls a year to 1,000, since I started, with the same amount of people working," he said.

Burns stated that they have wanted a full-time manager for three years now.

Tim Brester, owner of the Polson Ambulance Service, was on hand to dispel any rumors.

"The rumor that the Polson Ambulance Service is taking over — there is absolutely no truth to that," Brester said.

Instead, the RAS would operate under Brester with its original 18 members with Sheumaker working full-time as the Director of Operations, he explained. Going private would offer the RAS a managed schedule, full-time management, 24-hour on-call personnel and paid volunteerism.

"Everytime a call comes in and I can't respond, I feel guilty," said volunteer Kirk Bartel. "This would be a benefit because all calls would be covered."

"This seems like it would be the next logical evolutionary step to take," said Leah Emerson, nursing director at St. LukeHospital.

Bartel stated that going private would increase health care quality. Currently, the RAS offers basic life support (BAS). Operating under Brester as a private entity would allow for more education and training so that they could upgrade their service to advanced life support (ALS).

"We offer the education so the crew can bring a higher level of care to the community," Brester said.

Shane Roberts, CEO at St. Luke, stated that the hospital is only concerned about the response time and level of care the service will provide.

"We support what is best for the community, even if that means going private," he said.

Roberts said that St. Luke's has worked closely with Brester for 10 years and that he provides a quality service.

Mayor Kim Aipperspach said he was surprised that there wasn't one person at the meeting expressing any conflicting views — though one person asked how Brester would fund full-time personnel.

Brester explained that there would be an increase in costs, but nothing extravagant.

"Yes it is going to cost more, but good health care should cost more," he said.

Ronan City Council said that they are currently in the process of figuring out a fair turnover deal. No deadline has been set.