Baker City Council will respond to county's ambulance service request for proposals

May 11—The Baker City Council has not precluded the possibility of having the city fire department continue to operate ambulances beyond Sept. 30, 2022.

After hearing from 18 residents who implored the city to keep its current fire department staffing, councilors voted 7-0 on Tuesday night, May 10, to send a response to Baker County's request for proposals for providing ambulance services in the Baker Ambulance Service Area, which includes Baker City and about two-thirds of the rest of the county.

The county, which is responsible under Oregon law for choosing an ambulance provider, has set a June 3 deadline for responses.

County commissioners approved the request for proposals as a key part of their preparation for finding a new ambulance provider were the city to end its service Sept. 30.

Councilors also agreed to schedule a work session for 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, to discuss the response they will send to the county.

The City Council set the Sept. 30 deadline in a notice it sent to Baker County commissioners on March 22.

City Manager Jonathan Cannon has told councilors that he doesn't believe the city can afford to continue operating ambulances because the city isn't collecting enough in revenue from ambulance runs compared to the cost of the service.

If the city ends its ambulance service, it would lose an estimated $1 million in annual ambulance revenue. The city's budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, which the budget board approved May 3 but which the City Council, which has the final say, has not adopted, assumes that ambulance service will end Sept. 30.

The loss of ambulance revenue would prompt the city to lay off six firefighter/paramedics. The fire department is budgeted for the current fiscal year for 16.25 full time equivalent positions, although two of the positions for the 12 firefighter/paramedics who work 24-hour shifts are vacant.

All of those in the standing room only audience who spoke to councilors during Tuesday's meeting objected to the proposed layoffs. Many said they believe the cuts would reduce public safety and potentially lead to deaths because firefighters in some situations might lack the support crew they need to enter a burning building.

People also gathered outside City Hall prior to the meeting, some carrying signs with slogans such as "Keep our firefighters and ambulance services" and "Firefighters/EMTs we need them."

After Tuesday's meeting, Councilor Shane Alderson said his goal is to continue having the city fire department operate ambulances for the next fiscal year. That could give city and county officials time to prepare a proposal to take to voters for an ambulance district that includes a new property tax levy to boost the revenue for ambulance services both inside the city and in the rest of the Baker Ambulance Service Area.

That plan could go on the May 2023 ballot.

"I want to try for a year because I'm really excited about getting a district put together," Alderson said. "I think that will alleviate the burden on both the city and the county and provide an incredible opportunity for better fire and EMS protection."

Mayor Kerry McQuisten said Wednesday morning that, with the City Council deciding to submit a proposal to the county, "it's up to the county to select a provider, which they have to do by statute. Much rests on that process."

Firefighters dispute city's financial claims

Among the people who addressed councilors Tuesday was Casey Johnson, a firefighter/paramedic and president of the local union chapter that represents department staff.

"This 50% proposed cut in services and elimination of the ambulance is unheard of in Oregon," Johnson said. "This Chicken Little financial exposure over ambulance costs are fanning the flames of political will at the cost of citizens' safety. Not only is this policy dangerous, it does in fact not put the city in a better financial position."

At the request of Councilor Kenyon Damschen, Casey Husk, a firefighter/paramedic with the city fire department, also spoke to councilors.

Husk said he and other officials from the firefighters' union have reviewed the city's financial records.

"I don't see a financial crisis at all," Husk said.

He said the fire department, which is the second most expensive department in the city's general fund — the police department's budget for the current fiscal year is $2.56 million, the fire department's is $2.32 million — has spent less than its budgeted amount in five of the previous seven fiscal years.

In the two other years, fire department spending exceeded budget by 3.5% and 1%, Husk said.

He said the city's reserve funds have increased by 34% from last year.

Husk questioned the city's contention that the difference between the amount the city bills for ambulance services, and the amount it collects, represents a financial crisis.

He contends that the city exaggerates the percentage of the fire department's costs that result from operating ambulances.

Husk argues that the city's ambulance revenue — which increased from $771,000 during calendar year 2020 to $1,124,000 in calendar 2021, according to city records — has been and is sufficient to keep the fire department at current staffing levels.

"Overall, the financial health of this city and the fire department is good," Husk said. "We're not hemorrhaging money. It's a made up construct."

The budgets for both the fire and police departments have increased over the past several years. The police department budget has risen by almost 27% since the 2018-19 fiscal year. The fire department budget has risen by almost 15% during that period.

"It's up to you guys to be good politicians and make deals," Husk said. "We need you to protect this community."

Husk said that although he doesn't blame city councilors for what happened in the past, "we will blame you if you continue this charade."

Speakers urge City Council to preserve fire department

Robbie Langrell urged councilors to avoid layoffs in the fire department.

"If we cut the department now, we're never going to get these people back," Langrell said.

Julie Gentry asked councilors to "find a way to retain our Baker City Fire Department and our ambulance service under one roof."

She also asked "what does our city manager have to lose," saying that Cannon, who started work in January 2021, has not bought a home in Baker City.

According to Baker County Assessor's Office records, Cannon does not own property in Baker City or Baker County.

"He will not have to live with the consequences of this decision," Gentry said.

Todd Sidway contends the city's proposal to layoff fire staff "is going to cost lives."

Robert Hall, a retired veterinarian who's 74, said he believes the fire department's ambulance service is better than what a private company could provide.

Hall, who lives outside the city limits, said he is "very willing to pay more taxes to provide the quality of care in our emergency services."

Camille Hearn, who has seven children, four of whom have "severe medical needs," said she moved to Baker City from Richland four years ago in part to be closer to medical services.

The prospect of the city fire department no longer operating ambulances is "terrifying," Hearn told councilors.

Mike Davis urged councilors to "put together a reasonable bid" to send to the county.

"The ball's in your court," Davis said. "Will you show the EMS services, like the rest of us are doing, that you want them here?"

Vanessa Tachenko, whose husband, Ryan, is a city firefighter/paramedic, said that although her husband probably would not be laid off due to his seniority, he has had nightmares recently worrying about how cuts in the fire department would affect firefighters' safety when responding to blazes.

Brian Watt said the city's proposed firefighting staffing, following layoffs, of having two people on duty at all times rather than the current three, is "unconscionable."

"You're about to make a high risk, high consequence decision," he said.

John Clark, who served as Baker City fire chief from November 2018 to April 2020, submitted a letter to the City Council urging councilors to reach an agreement with the county to have the fire department continue to operate ambulances.

"In terms of public safety — Fire, Rescue and EMS, it is in the city and county residents' best interest for the manager/council to sit down with the county commissioners and do the hard work to finalize an intergovernmental agreement," Clark wrote.

Councilor comments

Following the statements from residents, Alderson said he had talked with a lobbyist from the League of Oregon Cities who was skeptical that any private ambulance companies would respond to the county's request for proposals due to a lack of paramedics.

Alderson said he believes the long-term solution to the situation is to form an ambulance service district that would include a tax levy, which voters in the district would need to approve. The district would include both the city and areas outside the city.

But Alderson said such a levy probably wouldn't go on the ballot until May 2023, and in the meantime the city needs to figure out how to continue operating ambulances for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Alderson said he talked with Baker County Commissioner Bruce Nichols, who told him the county is "willing to negotiate" and that the county might offer more than the $150,000 it has proposed.

Nichols, in an interview on Wednesday morning, May 11, confirmed that he had spoken multiple times with Alderson and that he had conversations with other city councilors.

Nichols said he wants the city to submit a proposal to the county for continuing to operate ambulances, and that he prefers that the city propose a five-year contract, which is what the county is asking for in its request for proposals.

Nichols also said he is willing to support the county offering a larger financial contribution to the city — potentially in the range of $250,000 to $300,000 for the coming fiscal year.

Nichols said his goal is to "buy us that time that we need to get a special district in place."

"I'm pleased that the city is willing to look at doing something," he said.

Councilor Joanna Dixon, in comments toward the end of Tuesday's meeting, said, speaking to the audience: "Regardless of your demands, we are not firing Mr. Cannon."

Dixon also referred to one of the main issues that limits the city's ability to collect ambulance revenues — that Medicaid and Medicare, which cover about 80% of the patients that city ambulances transport, pay only about 20% of the amount the city bills.

Dixon asked business owners to consider a situation where they charged $1 for a product, but customers only paid 20 cents.

"How long do you think you'd stay in business?" she said.