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Logan Fire reports rising EMS calls, higher ambulance revenues and one-time cardiac monitor purchase in draft budget
Summary
Chiefs told council EMS call volume and revenues have increased; staff propose two additional EMS positions, a $750,000 capital purchase for cardiac monitors and noted collection patterns for ambulance billing.
Logan Fire Department leaders told the City Council at the May 2025 budget workshop that call volume and ambulance revenues rose in the past year, and they proposed staffing and capital investments in the draft budget.
Fire leadership reported a 7.64% increase in overall call volume and 5,105 EMS incidents in 2024; about 3,647 of those EMS calls resulted in hospital transports. The department said unit responses totaled 12,052 for the year.
The chief (identified in the workshop as the department presenter) said ambulance billing policy changes that took effect July 2024 raised allowable mileage and base-rate amounts and have driven revenue increases. "Our revenues are actually up 15%, which in terms of numbers for that account is right around $750,000 in the plus," the chief said, describing the ambulance/EMS enterprise fund as showing stronger receipts after the rate change.
Budget proposals tied to EMS include two full-time positions placed in the EMS fund to address increased service demand and downtown staffing. The chief explained that one full-time hire added last year improved peak-period coverage downtown and that adding two more people would provide consistent downtown coverage and improve staffing of larger apparatus. The presentation also includes a one-time capital purchase of about $750,000 to replace 14 cardiac monitors carried across engines and ambulances; the chief said monitors must be updated across the fleet together for interoperability.
The department emphasized collection and bad-debt figures for the EMS fund. Staff said local collection rates are about 45%, better than a national survey cited by the department, and that the EMS fund remains an enterprise account funded largely by ambulance billings, contracts with neighboring jurisdictions, and some grant revenue.
Why it matters: rising EMS demand and a higher share of ambulance revenue affect the city's ability to staff emergency response, maintain equipment interoperability and forecast enterprise-fund stability. The chief urged the council to consider longer-term staffing and revenue forecasting as Logan's built environment becomes denser, noting national guidance that staffing needs increase with midrise and high-density housing.
Ending: The chief thanked the council and said the department will work with finance to space capital replacements and to set aside funds for future equipment cycles.
