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EMS director warns of rising call volume and years-long ambulance lead times
Summary
Wareham’s EMS director told the Finance Committee run volume has risen to nearly 6,000 calls annually, revenue growth has increased billing-service costs, and new ambulance build times (36–40 months) mean the department is seeking budget authority to replace a 2019 ambulance and manage mounting maintenance and billing write-offs.
Brad Allen, the town’s EMS director, told the Finance Committee that ambulance runs have climbed sharply — from roughly 5,515 to 5,934 year-over-year — while staffing has remained near full strength and transport revenue has risen.
Allen said the department’s billing vendor is commission-based, so higher revenue increases the town’s billing-service costs; he also warned the committee that uncollectible receivables (Medicaid/Medicare adjustments) require periodic write-offs. “We bill for transported runs and recover a significant portion through Medicaid and other payers,” he said, noting that much of the system’s revenue comes from state and federal reimbursements.
Why it matters: vehicle manufacturing delays have stretched new-ambulance delivery to 36–40 months. Allen said build-time projections mean a purchase ordered in 2026 could arrive in 2029–2030. The department is therefore requesting capital planning for replacing its 2019 truck to preserve service reliability and control maintenance costs.
Operational details: Allen described a 24/7 two-ambulance frontline configuration with occasional third-ambulance responses during peaks. He also described pressures on mutual aid and private ambulance capacity in the region, which have tightened backup options for non-emergency transports.
Next steps: the Finance Committee will review the EMS capital request during budget deliberations and asked Allen for updated delivery-time estimates and an itemized capital price for the 2019 replacement.
Attribution: direct quotes and figures come from Brad Allen’s presentation to the Finance Committee on Feb. 12, 2026.
