Lehigh fire board OKs purchase of ambulances

By Staff | Dec 24, 2014

Larry Becker

Finally after near an hour of listening to Lehigh Acres Fire Chief John Wayne and his staff, the board of commissioners of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District, agreed to give the chief permission to purchase three ambulances for the department.

But the chief had asked for four, but in the end said he would settle for less at the moment, but noted that the ambulances used in Lehigh are old and have hundreds of thousands of miles on them, causing considerable breakdowns, according to the chief, who also said that adds time to reach someone who has called in to get an ambulance due to an emergency. He said there had been times that once a patient had been put in an ambulance, it broke down and another had to be called, and at least on a few occasions, they have had to come from Fort Myers.

In addition to the long discussion about the need for ambulances, Commissioner Larry Becker remained chairman of the board along with the rest of the officers, which are elected every year. Becker made the nomination when the item came up on the agenda. His nomination of himself and the others on the board was seconded by Commissioner Cathy Kruze. During a short discussion period, Commissioner Linda Carter said she thought that the board should revolve its officers around to give each a chance of being its chairman “like they do on the Lee County Commission,” Carter said.

But the election went quickly and Becker is the new year’s chairman, along with Cathy Kruze, as vice chairman and Donald Adams and Linda Carter as treasury and secretary. Officers are elected each year.

Chief John Wayne had asked the board for a million dollars to purchase four ambulances for Lehigh EMTs, but the five board members balked at the price for four at this time.

Cathy Kruze

Wayne said that the ambulances transport division responds to about 10,600 calls each year and he said the department is the third busiest in the county.

“In addition, we are one of the only two fire departments that provide pre-hospital advanced life support (ALS) ambulance transport services,” he said in an executive summary report presented to the board.

The Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District has six transport units and there is a requirement to staff three units on a 24-hour shift.

But because of the increasing call volume and extended response times, Wayne said they have committed to staffing a fourth transport unit since December 1, 2014.

In his memo, he said the department’s newest transport units (two) were built in 2007 and the department’s emergency call volume has increased some 49.98 percent since that time.

Other units in the fleet are as follows, according to Wayne: one is a model year 2000, another is a model year of 2002, and two models were built in 2006.

Wayne told commissioners that the ambulances average more than 200,000 miles each with the range being between 181,000 and $257 miles. The district transports more than 6,000 patients annually and the district had delayed the “rechassis” of two transport ambulances due to what Wayne called the results of the fire fee assessment referendum referendum. Voters passed the non-ad valorem fee in the Nov. 4, election.

Wayne said that as of march 30 of next year the fire district will be mandated to staff four transport units on a 24-hour basis.

“We have difficulty keeping three to four units in operation at this time due to age, increasing maintenance costs, and extended down time for repairs. Three of our units should be removed from service completely, due to the fact that they are well beyond their life expectancy even for ‘reserve’ status,” Wayne reported in his memo and explained out loud to the commissioners.

In his passionate plea for the approval and the purchase of more ambulances, Wayne noted that now, some 50 percent of the district’s transported patients request and/or require transportation to a Fort Myers health facility and the average found trip for each of the transports equates to between 40 to 50 miles.

Wayne noted in his request to commissioners that because of the poor condition of the ambulances, the district needed to replace four of its Type 1 ambulances and in fact, two of the most mechanically sound units will be removed to “reserve ” status and the remaining four units would be traded in to offset the cost of the new units.

To pay for the ambulances, Wayne said the district has $3 million in assigned fund balance in the capital budget to purchase the ambulances. He noted that after Jan. 1, there will be a 3 percent increase in the cost per unit.

Commissioner Carter said she couldn’t support the purchase of four at the present time and spend a million dollars. But she added she “certainly saw the need.”

In the end the commissioners agreed to take $750,000 out of the capital fund and when the bill is in the future when more revenue comes into the district from the fire assessment fees, that the money be put back in the fund.

Carter suggested the purchase of two now and two more next year and keep up the maintenance and repair of the current fleet.

Commissioners Kruze asked when would the two ambulances arrive if ordered now to which Chief Wayne said it would be at least July and with the retrofitting of the new units, it could be a month or so later before they are on the road.

In the discussion of reasons to purchase new ambulances to replace broken down ambulances, Wayne and his staff noted that because of the dire situation that the fire department has been in, fire engines are in bad shape as are almost all the equipment, including radio equipment which Wayne said without new radios, the firefighters will not be able to even communicate.

The district will not be able to collect the assessment fees until a year from now for the fiscal year 2015-2016.

And during that time, the threat of a layoff of up to 46 firefighters is still possible, especially with the federal government’s SAFER grant running out next March. Chief Wayne noted that some employees were leaving and seeking other jobs because of the lack of job security.

Commissioner Kruze noted that the public must be protected and agreed with the chief that the equipment is old and the ambulances need to be replaced.

“I get it. I know what we are going through,” she said.

Wayne was asked how much the old ambulances would be worth in a trade-in situation to which he responded “hopefully $5,000 per unit.”

He said they are worked on by the vendors and usually shipped overseas.

The board gave its approval in a resolution to purchase the units for $750,000.

Commissioner Kruze said, “It is long overdue.”

At the beginning of the meeting, the board of commissioners voted to accept the voters’ choice of using a special fire assessment fee to support the fire district. That was a requirement by the state and papers were to be sent to Tallahassee with the proper signatures and information that the district would begin next year to collect a fire assessment fee.

There was some concern when the board would vote for those who would get exemptions from having to pay the fee. A few months ago, the board indicated that it would continue to same exemptions it had for the ad valorem taxes.

Its legal representative said the board had time to make those decisions and pass a resolution and noted it could take up a whole meeting for that purpose.

The meeting was held Dec. 16, earlier than usual because of the Christmas holiday.

: Cathy Kruze

Lehigh fire board OKs purchase of ambulances

By Staff | Dec 24, 2014

Larry Becker

Chief John Wayne had asked the board for a million dollars to purchase four ambulances for Lehigh EMTs, but the five board members balked at the price for four at this time.