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Dry Ridge EMS reports rising maintenance costs, cites engine failure and suggests city-assisted vehicle replacement
Summary
City of Dry Ridge officials told the board they logged roughly 249 EMS calls in June, reported year-to-date collections of $827,130.20 via MediCount (subject to contractual fees), and warned that an engine failure could cost about $30,000; the presenter asked whether the board would entertain asking the city to purchase or remount an ambulance to reduce maintenance burdens.
A City of Dry Ridge representative gave the board a detailed operations update on calls, revenue and vehicle maintenance on July 8 and urged the board to consider collaborating with the city on replacing or remounting an aging ambulance.
The presenter said the district responded to about 249 EMS calls in June and gave a breakdown of response and transport times by taxing district, adding that route and on-scene times remain within expected ranges. He reported fiscal-year maintenance for all vehicles at about $109,993 and noted a recent engine failure on EC4 that will likely require an estimated $30,000 engine replacement; the service performed an emergency purchase to get the vehicle back into service.
On revenue the presenter said collections recovered by MediCount totaled $827,130.20 year-to-date but emphasized that number does not reflect MediCount’s contractual fee (6.25 percent) and that some June revenue may still be pending as billing cycles and audits complete. He described a roughly 88% collection rate, an average collection per transport near $374, and an ALS billing rate close to 73%.
The presenter also said the service is awaiting final state approval of a critical care program; a state board vote was expected in about three weeks. To reduce future maintenance pressure, he said he planned to approach the city with an option similar to an earlier arrangement (where the city purchased or financed a vehicle and the service continued operations), noting that new ambulances list near $308,000 while refurbished remounts are roughly in the mid-$200,000 range. One figure in the transcript appears garbled (reported as “$232,140,000”) and was not clarified during the meeting.
Board members questioned the timing and financial sense of adding a vehicle purchase while the fleet still contains units with remaining life; one member noted the board was not at full membership that night and said the contract permits purchase if in fair condition and market value. A technical question followed about why EC1 showed mileage but zero engine hours; the presenter explained EC1 lacks engine-hour tracking hardware while the other three trucks do report engine hours.
The presenter summarized by asking for guidance on whether to approach the city; board members asked him to check the city’s likely response before bringing a finalized proposal back to the board. No formal procurement decision or motion on vehicle replacement was taken at the meeting.
