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Richmond County EMS reports rising call volume, higher drug costs and more expensive ambulances
Summary
Richmond County EMS told supervisors calls are up year‑to‑date and medication costs are rising; the service is considering ALS rate increases and reported a new ambulance quote of $451,650, higher than a previously locked price.
Richmond County’s EMS reported a steady increase in call volume this year and rising costs for medications and vehicle repairs at the board’s July meeting.
EMS Chief (S3) said the service logged 160 calls in June and 942 calls year‑to‑date, putting the county on track for roughly 2,000 calls this year. Monthly transports were 80 in June; average on‑scene times ranged by district (District 1: 6.3 minutes; District 2: 13.38; District 3: 12.72).
The chief described the county’s drug program and cautioned about maintenance costs. “We’re on track right now to spend about 18 to $20,000 a year in medications,” the chief said, noting that donated medications had short dates and will need replacement over time. To help offset rising costs, staff proposed bumping ALS rates by $50 for ALS1 and $75 for ALS2.
On fleet procurement, S3 said one manufacturer quoted $451,650 for a 2028‑model medic unit — about $42,284 higher than a previously locked price of $409,366 for a similar unit ordered earlier. The chief said two additional quotes were pending.
Board members pressed staff on whether the call increase is driven by an aging population; the chief attributed trends to a regional population shift and noted neighboring counties report similar increases. Members and staff discussed billing limitations: the county bills for trips (BLS/ALS) but cannot itemize drug charges to recover medication costs.
Next steps: EMS will return with additional ambulance quotes and the county will continue tracking drug maintenance costs; staff said they will present clearer maintenance cost projections in upcoming months.
