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Suncoast Fire & Rescue urges county to fund $360,000 temporary paramedic staffing to cut response times in northern Indian Rocks Beach
Summary
Suncoast Fire & Rescue told the Indian Rocks Beach commission it purchased land for a northern fire station and seeks roughly $360,000 from the county EMS fund to staff a temporary advanced life support unit beginning April 1 to address slow response times while a permanent station is built.
Suncoast Fire & Rescue representatives told the Indian Rocks Beach City Commission that they bought land at the city's northern end and plan to temporarily station an advanced life support (ALS) rescue unit there starting April 1 to reduce long ambulance response times.
The district's presenter said the northern area's response-time shortfalls were identified in a 2009 county analysis and persist because the nearest staffed station outside the city is almost six miles away. "Time is brain, time is heart muscle," the presenter said, urging commissioners and residents to urge the county to help secure interim staffing.
Why it matters: the district said faster access to paramedics could materially improve outcomes for cardiac and trauma patients in parts of Indian Rocks Beach and neighboring Bellaire Beach. The district estimated the six-month cost to staff the temporary unit at about $360,000 (roughly $720,000 annually), and noted that the county's EMS fund had roughly $67.3 million in reserves with a forecast of about $103 million in a pending budget document.
Details: the presenter reported 78 emergency calls in July for Indian Rocks Beach, including 63 medical calls, three water rescues and 15 fire-related calls. He explained that county funding typically covers "one seat" of staffing per engine (one funded position that covers three shift personnel) and that the district expects the county to provide an additional seat when the permanent station opens; the temporary funding would cover personnel in the interim.
Commissioners probed the numbers and long-term costs. The presenter said the $360,000 request would pay personnel only for the half-year interim; full staffing and capital build-out between now and station completion could approach $1.5 million over two years. The presenter said the county had declined to recommend the temporary allocation at an August 6 meeting but invited further community advocacy to the county commission before the county's final budget.
What's next: the fire district asked residents and the commission to contact county decision-makers before the county's September budget adoption. The city did not take a formal vote on the request during the meeting; staff said they would continue to gather details and follow up with the district and county.
