Rural rescue plan hones in on one-year contract

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By JEAN ORTIZ / Lincoln Journal Star

Lincoln Fire & Rescue has offered to provide emergency medical services outside the city limits for less money than it says it has been losing annually to provide the service.

Lincoln Fire Chief Niles Ford said the latest proposal is a step in the right direction after providing the service to local fire departments in rural areas without charge for several years.

If approved, rural fire departments, possibly with some help from the county, would enter into a one-year contract with the Lincoln agency at a cost of $120,000.

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Niles Ford

Niles Ford

A long-term plan that adequately covers Lincoln Fire & Rescue’s costs also is being considered. The department is analyzing data from February 2007 to February 2008 to get an updated cost figure, but it could be fall before the analysis is complete, Ford said.

Last year, Lincoln Fire & Rescue calculated it was losing $180,000 a year by responding or simply being ready to respond in rural areas.

Before coming up with the latest proposal, the two sides had considered a three-year plan with costs that started at $120,000 and ramped up to $180,000.

The rural departments are dealing with limited time and a limited budget, and LFR needs to be conscious of that, Ford said. The Lincoln agency has its own limitations, as well, he said.

“We’re coming very close to a point where we have to come to some sort of conclusion for this year,” Ford said.

The city and the county agreed in October to cover Lincoln Fire & Rescue’s losses until Aug. 31 to allow time for the departments to find a feasible and economical resolution.

Greg Hall, who chairs a committee of rural fire representatives, told the board last week he believed the 18 rural departments involved in negotiations could find $120,000 in their budgets. But because each department will have to decide if it wants to participate in the one-year plan, Hall asked commissioners on Thursday if the county would provide a safety net if the departments fell short.

Commissioners have deemed the issue a priority, saying it boils down to public safety. Based on the assumption it would be a one-time expenditure, the board agreed it could pull from its keno fund to fill a gap.

“They’re caught in a bind here,” Commissioner Larry Hudkins said.

County budget and fiscal officer Dennis Meyer said the fund would have $40,000 to $50,000 if it was needed.

The committee and Lincoln Fire & Rescue still have details to work out and are under some some pressure to do so before the county finalizes its budget for next year and the subsidy the mayor set up for this year runs out.

But Hall sounded optimistic, as he has throughout the process.

The one-year plan will allow the rural departments a “test drive,” including an opportunity to refine a reporting system that tracks response times and the number of calls the city department handles, he said.

Reach Jean Ortiz at 473-7107 or jortiz@journalstar.com.