Fluvanna reviews EMS staffing, station and operating costs as call volume rises
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Summary
County staff presented three EMS staffing options and reviewed 15 years of rescue payments, recent cost drivers (fire chief salary, quick-response vehicle, pharmacy/drug box, maintenance), and rising call volumes; board discussed facility and apparatus costs and directed staff to produce cost-per-call analyses.
County staff used the Feb. 20 meeting to walk supervisors through the structure and costs of the newly formed Department of Emergency Services and why personnel and operations expenses have risen since the department's formation.
Staff recalled the board's Dec. 2022 approvals and described three staffing options considered during the department setup (two 24/7 ambulances; three ambulances; and two 24/7 with an additional weekday unit). Staff recommended Option 1 (two 24/7 ambulances) as cost-effective while allowing future additions if call volume requires.
Officials cited several cost drivers beyond staff salaries: the addition of a fire-chief position, deployment of a quick-response vehicle and an extra station at Kent Store, higher maintenance costs for power-load systems and power cots (county-covered even for ambulances stationed at Lake Monticello), and a change in drug procurement that made the county the central purchaser for certain medications. Staff also presented call-volume data showing an increase from 2024 to 2025 and noted automatic/mutual-aid interactions with Albemarle and neighboring jurisdictions.
Why it matters: Supervisors and staff said higher call volumes and the county's direct payment for maintenance and pharmacy supplies have increased operations costs; decisions on stations and staffing will affect near-term budget choices and long-term capital planning. Staff estimated that operating an ambulance out of a new county EMS station would cost roughly $650,000 annually plus capital apparatus costs (an ambulance purchase was discussed as being in the CIP).
Board direction: Supervisors asked staff to prepare supplemental materials, including cost-per-call comparisons across providers, a 15-year cost history already cited in the presentation, and clearer apples-to-apples tables that remove items added after the original December 2022 projections. The board also discussed sequencing for a potential EMS station (staff noted a CIP placeholder of $3 million and suggested $4.5M to $5M as a realistic building estimate based on recent projects). No formal budget vote occurred; staff will return with additional analysis.
Quotes in context: Staff cautioned that some figures are "approximate" and explained that differences between budgeted amounts and actuals reflect both service-level changes and items that were later added to county responsibilities.
Next steps: Staff said they will provide a cost-per-call analysis and post relevant charts for board review in upcoming budget sessions.
