THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 4, 1995 TAG: 9505040356
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Suffolk, the only city in the region that does not charge for ambulance calls, can no longer afford the free ride.
After years of giving no-cost rescue service to anyone who called - and after a huge increase in non-emergency calls - Suffolk's fire department and the City Council are studying whether to charge for a city service that some council members have said has become a taxi service.
At a work session before Wednesday's council meeting, the City Council asked the city staff to report on charging for ambulance service, a move that would bring an estimated $100,000 in revenue, and would bring the city in line with the region.
Suffolk Fire Chief Mark Outlaw said each rescue call costs the city about $100. And with ambulance calls reaching an all-time high, the city can no longer afford to foot the bill.
Two independent volunteer rescue squads provide emergency medical services to the city. City fire engines respond in life-threatening cases. There are no charges for either response.
Ever since Nansemond County and Suffolk merged in 1974, the city has never charged for an ambulance call. No city official interviewed could say exactly why a fee was never charged. However, economics and a lack of manpower have helped create this recent change.
As new housing and other development creep into this city, Suffolk's firefighting and emergency manpower is spread thin.
For example, Outlaw said that three of Suffolk's primary pieces of rescue equipment - an aerial truck, water tanker and crash rescue vehicle that carries the Jaws of Life - are operated by one firefighter. When that firefighter is using one of those vehicles, the other two are unmanned.
If the city ever were faced with a major disaster, the fire department's manpower and equipment would be stretched to the limit, Outlaw said.
``We've had to do that during two or three occasions thus far this year,'' said Outlaw. ``So far we haven't had a major problem with it. But there is a potential problem there that we're trying to stop from happening.''
The fire department has 65 paid personnel and about 140 volunteers throughout the city. Four paid engine companies and two independent volunteer rescue squads - Bennetts Creek Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Nansemond-Suffolk Rescue Squad - are responsible for protecting Suffolk's 430-square-miles.
``We're putting probably an average of seven firefighters on a structure fire and that is pushing our luck as far as personal safety of the firefighters is concerned,'' said Outlaw.
``We're getting everything we can out of each individual.''
The fire department has thus far garnered between 11 and 12 new firefighting positions from the city's 1995-96 operating budget, which the City Council and citizens are now debating. Three of the new positions will go to the Holland area. At least two new positions will go to Whaleyville, about 10 minutes south of downtown Suffolk.
One of the reasons for the new fee stems from people using the city's ambulances as a taxi service for non-mergency calls. Former Fire Chief J. Samuel ``Sammy'' Carter said recently that citizens knowingly call for ambulance service when they don't need it.
``I certainly don't have any facts to back that up,'' said Outlaw. ``But when you arrive in an emergency room in an ambulance, you go in a lot faster than if you drove up in your car.
``We've been running a lot of non-emergency calls. And when you're running a non-emergency call, your unit is tied up when there are emergency calls.'' by CNB