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Washington County ambulance service flags maintenance, staffing and billing challenges
Summary
At a Washington County meeting, the county ambulance representative reported a major engine failure covered by warranty, charging-rate changes with a billing vendor and staffing gaps tied to pay and spousal insurance that complicate recruitment.
Mister Floyd, the county representative on ambulance operations, told Washington County board members that recent months have brought costly maintenance and staffing strains for the service.
He said Unit 0825 experienced a seized cylinder; the motor is being replaced under the fleet warranty, which covers vehicles up to 100,000 miles. A separate older ambulance (unit 3606) showed intermittent charging problems; technicians replaced batteries and plan overnight testing after noting a loose electrical outlet faceplate in the vehicle bay and a possible circuit-board misread of battery state.
Mister Floyd also told the board the service has implemented higher billing rates under the county’s agreement with ABS billing; he described the new rates as roughly 400% above Medicare-allowable figures and said staff expects several billing cycles before any revenue impact is clear. The ordinance that authorized those rates was passed earlier by the board and the billing change has been forwarded to ABS, he said.
Staffing remains a persistent challenge. Mister Floyd reported two recent departures—employees who accepted positions with a fire department—and two current vacancies; he said paramedic hires are especially difficult to recruit. Board members and staff discussed regional pay and benefits, noting Harrison County’s higher pay and experience-based incentive steps and that availability of spousal insurance is a common deciding factor for recruits. Board members asked staff to provide details about which neighboring employers offer spousal coverage.
Paramedic Richard Crawford, who introduced himself during the meeting, said he moved to the county service from Harrison County and praised the department’s 24-hour staffing model and director-level leadership. Crawford said he enjoys working for the service, adding a positive note amid the operational challenges.
Next steps noted in the meeting: staff will continue vehicle diagnostics and repairs, pursue recruitment for open positions, and provide the board with follow-up information about regional employer benefits and the early impacts of the ABS billing change.
