The Augusta firefighters’ association is urging the Augusta Commission to approve a “reasonable subsidy” for Central EMS as discussion continues with the city’s new provider.
“The men and women of Augusta Professional Firefighters Association Local 3357 could not be more pleased with the service we have seen over the last few days,” the group said in a statement released Friday. “We cannot go back to the way things have been for the last couple of years.”
The statement did not specify what is “reasonable.”
The last few years have seen the commission and former provider Gold Cross at an impasse, with neither side willing to budge on contract terms and the subsidy amount. The conflict led to Gold Cross’ abrupt withdrawal Sunday from a month-to-month contract with the city, leaving Central and Augusta officials only a few hours to replace the service. The urgent transition has gone well, officials have said, with Augusta Fire Department housing the ambulances and crew members at fire stations around the city and Augusta 911 dispatching EMS calls.
“The citizens of Augusta are receiving EMS coverage that has not been seen in years, thanks to Central EMS,” the statement said. “Within a short, 12-hour period, Central had eight ambulances staffed and ready to provide services in Richmond County, and calls are being answered in a timely manner, without extended and exorbitant wait times.”
Wait times for an ambulance to arrive were a chief concern of residents who needed one, commissioners who wanted change from Gold Cross and firefighters, who typically arrive as first responders at the same emergency medical scenes.
“Our crews are no longer being left on scenes, for upwards of four hours, waiting for EMS services to arrive. This is the coverage the citizens have needed and deserved for a long time,” the statement said.
Union members and some commissioners have traced the decline in Gold Cross’ response times to the commission’s pre-COVID decision to reduce the annual subsidy to $600,000. The amount and lack of a contract gave city officials no way to monitor response times or locations because Gold Cross dispatched ambulances from a separate center.
What is reasonable?
As Central continues to staff up and offer free EMT academies at Piedmont Augusta, contract negotiations were set to continue with a city subcommittee that had offered to work during Masters Week if needed. Interim City Administrator is on the commission’s standing called Tuesday meeting agenda to present a contract for the commission to approve.
Central EMS President Gary Coker hasn’t publicly specified a dollar amount other than the company must make a 10% profit margin. Augusta was paying Gold Cross $150,000 per month in the month-to-month contract, which would total $1.9 million annually. Former Gold Cross Vice President Steven Vincent asked for $99 per call, or about $2.6 million a year, and $2 million plus a $2 million one-time inducement on another occasion.
Although eight are currently in use, a draft contract obtained last week by The Augusta Press called for the company to have up to 14 ambulances during peak daytime hours, in addition to three quick-response vehicles staffed by paramedics.
The draft, which is likely to change, called for a maximum response time of 12 minutes for 90% of high-priority calls, daily reporting of late calls and long hospital wait times and monthly reports of indigent care or other calls written off for nonpayment. It calls for a performance bond equal to 25% of the subsidy amount.
Fire Chief Antonio Burden, praising the work of his staff and Central, said ideal response times vary and are based on population size, the number of calls, resources available, geography, road conditions, the distance to medical facilities, traffic patterns and other factors.
