Ems Fuel Costs
Running head: FUEL COSTS EFFECTING EMS
How Rising Fuel Cost Effect EMS Agencies
Eric Hatcher
EMS 280
6 May 08
How Rising Fuel Cost Effect EMS Agencies
As the prices of fuel increase nationwide, it isn’t only the local residents that feel the pinch of higher fuel prices. Those responsible for fueling ambulances, fire engines, and police cars are also battling the soaring transportation costs.
Granted, this problem affects everyone in the EMS industry, but it is even worse on privately owned squads. Most, if not all of the county or state funded agencies have a budget allotment for fuel costs, and that amount is usually replenished by tax dollars yearly.
For the privately owned company, this annual government replenishment doesn’t exist and this money has to come from somewhere. This means that the private services must suffer cutbacks in extra “luxury items” (pre-made IV start packs for example), parking Type I and III ambulances and utilizing more “fuel efficient” Type II units, and cutting down on engine idle times just to name a few.
These companies also are forced to come up with these extra funds by being forced to withhold employees’ raises, perform station upgrades, freeze ancillary spending, the list could go on.
The meter does not start running — at a rate of $10.63 a mile (Jan Care Ambulance of West Virginias current mileage rate) — until after a patient is on the way to the hospital. But there are other costs that have also been increasing.
The two things that create the biggest dent in the ambulance service budget are fuel and manpower. Additionally, there are costs for insurance, equipment, maintenance and training, and covering unpaid bills. Collection rates for EMS historically have really been low. They range from 40 to 60 percent on average.
Ambulance services are to the
How Rising Fuel Cost Effect EMS Agencies
Eric Hatcher
EMS 280
6 May 08
How Rising Fuel Cost Effect EMS Agencies
As the prices of fuel increase nationwide, it isn’t only the local residents that feel the pinch of higher fuel prices. Those responsible for fueling ambulances, fire engines, and police cars are also battling the soaring transportation costs.
Granted, this problem affects everyone in the EMS industry, but it is even worse on privately owned squads. Most, if not all of the county or state funded agencies have a budget allotment for fuel costs, and that amount is usually replenished by tax dollars yearly.
For the privately owned company, this annual government replenishment doesn’t exist and this money has to come from somewhere. This means that the private services must suffer cutbacks in extra “luxury items” (pre-made IV start packs for example), parking Type I and III ambulances and utilizing more “fuel efficient” Type II units, and cutting down on engine idle times just to name a few.
These companies also are forced to come up with these extra funds by being forced to withhold employees’ raises, perform station upgrades, freeze ancillary spending, the list could go on.
The meter does not start running — at a rate of $10.63 a mile (Jan Care Ambulance of West Virginias current mileage rate) — until after a patient is on the way to the hospital. But there are other costs that have also been increasing.
The two things that create the biggest dent in the ambulance service budget are fuel and manpower. Additionally, there are costs for insurance, equipment, maintenance and training, and covering unpaid bills. Collection rates for EMS historically have really been low. They range from 40 to 60 percent on average.
Ambulance services are to the
References: Standish, L (2008, April 4). Ambulance fuel costs pinch fire departments. GJSintinel.com Retrieved May 1, 2008, from http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/04/04/040508_1A_Ambulance_costs.html Northway, W (24 Oct 07). Costs of fuel a growing headache for emergency services. Findarticles.com Retrieved May 1, 2008 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5277/is_200510/ai_n24306946.html Willis, D (1 May 08). Medical Transportation Feeling Pain. AAP.com Retrieved May 3, 2008 from http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080501BUSINESS/805010580/1003