Auburn City Ambulance reports rising call volume, projects revenue exceeding operating budget

Auburn City Ambulance Director of Operations Keziah Sullivan told the Auburn City Council on April 10 that the service has absorbed higher call volume since 2023, is operating six ambulances and expects revenues for the current fiscal year to exceed prior projections.

The ambulance, which Sullivan described as “mobile ICUs,” handled roughly 1,200 more calls in 2024 than in the previous year and ran a higher share of interfacility transports after AMR left the market, she said. Sullivan said the service projects about $3.8 million in revenue for the fiscal year, compared with a $3.3 million operating budget, with salaries accounting for about 74% of operating costs.

Sullivan said the department staffs four to five ambulance crews during daytime hours and three to four overnight, with six vehicles in the fleet so the service usually has a mechanical spare. “We currently staff 4 to 5 crews in the daytime, 3 to 4 crews between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.,” Sullivan said. She added that having sufficient part‑time staff has helped limit overtime while preserving continuous coverage.

Why it matters: Councilors and staff said the city’s ambulance operation now both serves Auburn and supplies mutual aid and interfacility work across the region; that mix affects operating costs, billing and long‑term planning. Sullivan said approximately 81% of 2024 dispatches originated in the city and emphasized that roughly a quarter of responses are non‑billable public‑service calls (standbys, false alarms, on‑scene cancellations).

Details and context - Call volume: Sullivan presented annual totals showing steady increases since the service began; she noted particularly that 2024 included about 1,200 more calls than the prior year. Early 2025 data show a smaller year‑over‑year increase of roughly 2% in the first three months. - Transport mix: Standard interfacility transports remain primarily to Syracuse and Rochester; long‑distance (over 70 miles) transports have fallen from about 6% of totals in earlier years to roughly 2%. - Staffing: The service lists 18 paramedics (11 full‑time, 7 part‑time) and 27 EMT/Advanced EMT positions (a mix of full‑ and part‑time). Sullivan said part‑time employees provide scheduling flexibility and reduce overtime costs. - Equipment and needs: Sullivan requested modest equipment upgrades, including a second refurbished ventilator for critical interfacility transfers, one additional Lifepak cardiac monitor (to outfit all six ambulances consistently), replacement narcotics‑safe keypads, and spare iPads for charting. - Finances: For the first eight months of the fiscal year, revenues ran about $2.5 million against $2.3 million in expenditures; the comptroller’s monthly receipts estimate implies a projected year‑end revenue near $3.8 million.

Public comment and council response Resident Buddy Unger used the public comment period to press the council on ambulance operations, saying “what’s going on with the ambulance?” and raising concerns about mutual‑aid coverage and past accounting transparency. Sullivan and councilors discussed operational details after the presentation; councilors and the city manager praised staff for using data in planning and said further regional coordination and continued financial scrutiny will be needed.

Looking ahead: Sullivan and councilors said they will continue to monitor staffing, equipment and billing performance and seek grants or other outside funding for capital and equipment needs where possible.