Altus seeks deal to save ambulance service

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ALTUS – City officials are negotiating with Jackson County commissioners to save the area’s ambulance service, which is finding it difficult to operate and make payroll, City Manager Gary Jones said.

“We’re looking at the merger of the service where Altus will operate the ambulances,” Jones said. “The cost of maintenance is too high, and the reimbursement rate is too low.”

Altus City Council put $250,000 into an ambulance fund on December 21 to keep the EMS service afloat until a permanent management agreement can be finalized. If an agreement is reached, Altus would manage the service as part of an interlocal pact with Jackson County.

The EMS currently operates as a 522 district, which is a separate entity. An agreement would integrate the ambulance service with Altus Fire Department.

The deadline to reach an agreement is March 21, but that can be extended, Jones said.

The ambulances are located at the Altus fire stations with firefighters often used as backup drivers. Recently, firefighters were used as ambulance drivers when two paramedics were diagnosed with COVID-19. Paramedics are the only people who can render medical care to patients.

Reaching the interim management agreement in December was critical because the EMS board would not have been able to pay its employees, Jones said. The ambulance service employs more than 20 people with five full-time dispatchers.

“We’re coming up with long-term solutions that meet our goals for the future,” the city manager said.

Altus will develop ways to cut expenses and increase revenue without affecting employees, Jones said.