West Webster Fire District presents two options for ambulance transport services

A public meeting was held on July 26

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Webster, NY - The West Webster Fire District is caught in a catch-22 situation with its ambulance transport services.

The district held a public meeting on July 26 to present two options for keeping up with increasing call volume and low volunteer enrollment.

The two options:

• Option #1: Increase paid EMT staff under its existing model

• Option #2: Contract all ambulance transport services to a third-party company

The cons of each:

• Option #1 would raise taxes

• Option #2 would put the cost on citizens and their insurance companies

According to West Webster Fire District officials, fire taxes are already allotted to basic ambulance services.

“We have two goals – number one: provide the best possible patient care; and number two: do it in the most cost-effective manner possible,” Charlie Schreiber of the West Webster Fire Department stated in the presentation given at the July 26 meeting.

Residents within the West Webster district have questions, of course; as does former Webster Town Supervisor Ron Nesbitt, who, along with dozens of residents, attended the meeting.

As a former supervisor, Nesbitt is familiar with the logistics of an ambulance service’s certificate of need and contracts.

“I am not a resident of West Webster,” Nesbitt told Webster Online, “but my concern was that if West Webster gave up their [certificate of need], would the Town of Webster then take over West Webster with their town [certificate of need], and since [North East Quadrant Advanced Life Support] has the five-year contract with Webster to provide ambulance service to the east side of town, would that then apply to West Webster without them having the opportunity to bid out their services to other ambulance companies.”

Nesbitt says the fire district is going to talk to their lawyer regarding these questions.

The West Webster Fire District covers parts of Penfield, Webster, and Irondequoit Bay.

The district officials say they will notify the public when a decision is made.