Carroll County ambulance director warns rising vehicle and equipment costs will push capital needs

Jamie Webster, director of Carroll County Ambulance, told the Carroll County Board of Supervisors that the ambulance service faces sharply higher capital and equipment costs while revenue streams remain variable.

Webster said ambulance revenue historically has “been consistently right around $1,100,000,” noting last year’s $1.4 million but reporting roughly $767,000 received so far this year. She said that variability, combined with rising vehicle and equipment prices and long vendor lead times, supports a cautious approach to the FY26 capital plan.

The director told the board the chassis-only price for a unit recently rose to about $304,000 and that a fully equipped new ambulance could approach $400,000 when cots, cardiac monitors and power-load systems are included. “Most of them are over two years lead time,” Webster said, and “the price of that stuff is going sky high.”

Webster asked the board to continue a capital accumulation plan begun in prior years: add $50,000 to a building capital line (bringing a rolling target to $100,000) to address roof and steel repairs, and to maintain a vehicle capital line that covers anticipated down payments and equipment. She said a down payment of roughly $67,000–$75,000 may be needed when the chassis arrives and that paying early can secure vendor discounts.

Webster described the service’s replacement strategy: ambulances are kept in Carroll County for roughly 15 years, rotated to outlying stations when they near high mileage, and refurbished or remounted in some cases to reduce costs. She asked the board to keep vehicle capital funding steady so the department can plan for a 2026–2027 replacement cycle.

On reimbursements, Webster briefed supervisors about the Ground Emergency Medical Transport (GEMT) and other payer mixes. She said GEMT supplements were increasing and that reimbursement per eligible call has varied, citing figures used in her financial planning: GEMT reimbursements in recent years produced roughly $186,000 per year on average for the county’s program, and the program had reimbursed about $858 per eligible call in the most recently completed reporting period with a projected figure near $957 for the next year. Webster said Medicaid reimbursement rates are generally lower and that GEMT supplements can materially affect net revenue for certain transports.

Webster also described operating choices that affect costs: the county’s chosen monitor and cot manufacturers have limited competition, increasing replacement prices (Stryker cots and power-load systems were cited). She recommended continuing to fund equipment replacement through the capital account and using grants for interim expenses such as battery replacements and maintenance on mechanical CPR devices (Lucas) that have eight-year expected lives.

Webster said the service expects to keep seven ambulances in active inventory across the county, with three units normally serving the Carroll area and the others rotating to satellites; the service seeks to avoid rapid replacement cycles by planning capital well in advance.

If approved, the budget changes Webster recommended would allow the department to pay vendor milestones for the next ambulance, address building repairs to limit further roof damage and maintain replacement funds for monitors, cots and ambulance remounts.

Ending note: Webster asked the board to consider the multi-year capital plan and said she would return with final vendor quotes and timing when available.

Speakers quoted or referenced: Jamie Webster, Director, Carroll County Ambulance.

Why it matters: Ambulance capital and equipment spending affects long-term service continuity and local emergency response capacity; large one-time purchases can require budget amendments if not pre-funded.