By Leila Merrill
AUSTIN, Texas 鈥� As EMS agencies cope with higher fuel costs in whatever ways they can, one agency鈥檚 director wants state and federal lawmakers to help.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 at the end of my rope. My agency needs a new ambulance, but the cost of an ambulance has gone up $60,000 in the last few months, and with the supply and chip issues, ambulance chassis are not being produced and are projected to arrive in 24 to 30 months,鈥� said Ricky Reeves, the executive director of Granbury Hood County EMS.
鈥淲e take good care of our vehicles, but no vehicle will last forever, and a broken-down ambulance on the side of the road doesn鈥檛 do anyone any good,鈥� Reeves said. 鈥淭he fuel costs are forcing us to delay other capital purchases.鈥�
So Reeves is asking lawmakers to assist EMS agencies.
鈥淲e need some kind of relief. We don鈥檛 like talking about reimbursement, but fuel, ambulances and cardiac monitors are not free. We need to be able to pay the paramedics and EMTs working on the frontline,鈥� he said in a news release from the .
Matt Zavadsky, chief transformation officer for Fort Worth-based MedStar Mobile Healthcare described how high prices are making it difficult for all providers to sustain operations.
鈥淥ur fuel prices more than doubled since this time last year. MedStar spent over $223,000 putting fuel in ambulances in May. In May of 2021, we spent less than $97,000. But we always need to be ready to respond to patients鈥� 911 calls and hospital requests,鈥� he said.
Agencies have been doing what they can to reduce costs.
In Pennsylvania, the Ross/West View Emergency Medical Services Authority is trying to limit its non-essential runs.
鈥淲e are trying to limit the amount of time that vehicles sit outside in idle, which sometimes in the summer is difficult because we have things in the vehicles that need to be climate controlled and that鈥檚 managed by the gasoline or diesel motor,鈥� Greg Porter, assistant director, .
In Ohio, Spirit EMS is monitoring local pump prices.
鈥淲e send our fuel text to all of our crews as far as where the cheapest place to get fuel is,鈥� said Doug Puderbaugh, paramedic shift captain,
But that achieves only so much. Puderbaugh said it cost $240 just to fill this ambulance with diesel fuel.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 ever remember gas prices being as high as they are now as long as I鈥檝e been in EMS.鈥�