UHRICHSVILLE (Tusco TV) - Firefighters are hoping to take over as the city’s primary EMS provider, but city council members say they’re concerned about how much it’s going to cost.

EMS Coordinator Captain Wes Dillon says they’re ready and willing to handle the city’s emergency medical calls once the city’s current contract with the Smith Ambulance runs out. He says they have an entire roster of firefighter/paramedics and an ambulance fully-stocked with life-saving equipment, with a second one on the way.

“The EMS service has been just how we wanted it to be. We started as a backup unit for a few years to get our feet wet. Prior to getting an ambulance, it was just a guess on what it would take to run the service with the fire department. We are now three and a half years into it. We’ve transported upwards of 280 patients. We now have a grasp on what it takes and the costs and revenues involved,” he says.

The ambulance committee has been meeting with Smith and several other providers to work out a new EMS contract for the city. Dillon says he thinks they should forgo a contract and invest in what they already have.

“We feel the city should not contract with any new out-of-town EMS providers to cover our city. Our firefighters are more than willing to provide the service. We are already here in place and we’re already being paid by the taxpayers,” he says. 

Councilman Eric Harmon says he’s given the department a list of financial questions to answer because he’s worried that running their own service is going to cost a lot more than the $8 per person increase Smith is requesting.

“I’m simply just asking the tough and serious questions because I believe that the taxpayers deserve real answers, and I have major fiscal concerns and objections to running an in-house EMS with the city of Uhrichsville,” he says. 

Meanwhile, Smith has agreed to extend the city’s current contract through the end of January. 

TUSCO TV