All three Baker County commissioners said they’re confident that Metro West Ambulance, the Hillsboro company commissioners picked to operate ambulances in Baker City and much of the rest of the county, will maintain the level of service residents expect.

“I’m comfortable with the level of service they will provide to the citizens of Baker County,” Commission Chairman Bill Harvey said on Thursday, June 9.

The day before, commissioners voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of a committee, whose members were appointed by commissioners last month, to negotiate a five-year contract with Metro West, which is based in Hillsboro.

The county received one other proposal, from Capstone Transportation, which operates as Victory EMS in Southern Idaho.

(Pdf copies of both proposals are available for download at www.bakercityherald.com.)

One of the more significant differences between the two proposals is dollars.

Capstone requested that Baker County and Baker City provide a subsidy of $1,280,000 for the first year, with an expected 3% annual increase thereafter.

Metro West did not request any financial subsidy for the duration of the contract.

That difference alone made Metro West an obvious choice, Commissioner Bruce Nichols said on Thursday, June 9.

“Basically it was an easy pick,” he said.

Nichols, Harvey and the third commissioner, Mark Bennett, all cited Metro West’s extensive experience as another clear advantage.

“They do have a lot of experience, and that makes me feel better,” Nichols said. “I feel pretty comfortable with it.”

Metro West was founded in 1953, and the company has seven advanced life support ambulance services in Oregon, three in Washington state and one in California, according to its proposal to Baker County.

Capstone has been operating in Idaho for four years, and the company offers non-emergency transports.

The ambulance provider in Baker County handles emergency transports as well as non-emergency — what’s known as “pre hospital care.”

Harvey said the factor that most persuaded him to prefer Metro West was the unanimous recommendation from the advisory committee, whose members included Tony Alexander, Wayne Endersby, Debra Duggan, Pat Sullivan, David Richards, Loran Joseph and Jeanne Peacock.

“They did the homework and they all agreed that these (Metro West) are the folks we should be going with,” Harvey said. “I’m quite comfortable with the choice they made.”

Nichols said Metro West had an advantage of about 30 points, in the committee’s rating, over Capstone.

Several details remain uncertain, including where Metro West will garage its ambulances, and when the company will fully replace the Baker City Fire Department, which has operated ambulances for more than half a century.

Nichols said those issues will be part of the county’s contract negotiations with Metro West.

Erin Miller, chief business development officer for Metro West, had not returned a phone call by the deadline for this story.

City notice in March kicked off county’s search for replacement

The county hadn’t been looking for a new ambulance provider until the Baker City Council voted on March 22 of this year to notify the county that the city intended to curtail ambulance service Sept. 30, 2022.

Under Oregon law, the county, not the city, is responsible for picking an ambulance provider.

After talks between city and county officials during the spring failed to yield an agreement for the city to continue operating ambulances, commissioners approved a request for proposals.

Metro West and Capstone sent formal proposals, although Bennett said some other companies had inquired with the county.

Bennett said he talked with several members of the advisory committee, and all were disappointed that Baker City didn’t submit a proposal.

The City Council voted 7-0 on May 10 to direct City Manager Jonathan Cannon to write a proposal for the city fire department to remain the ambulance provider.

But during their May 24 meeting, at which Cannon was preparing to distribute a draft of the proposal, councilors voted 4-2 to not submit a proposal to the county by the June 3 deadline.

Ambulance bill comparison

The Baker City Fire Department charges these amounts for ambulance transports:

• Basic life support: $1,079

• Advanced life support: $1,550

• Non-resident, basic life support: $2,144

• Non-resident, advanced life support: $2,550

• Mileage: $22 per mile

Most of the patients transported in city ambulances are covered by federal Medicare or Medicaid, which pay only about 20% of the amount the city bills.

That low reimbursement rate is one reason that Baker City Manager Jonathan Cannon has cited for why he believes the city couldn’t afford to continue operating ambulances.

It’s not clear how much private companies, such as Metro West, will receive from Medicare and Medicaid patients.

Metro West is proposing a flat rate of $1,500 for both basic and advance life support transports, regardless of whether the patient is a local resident.

The proposal also includes a fee of $21 per mile.

“These are our initial rates,” the Metro West proposal states. “We understand that these rates will be in effect for the entire first year of the contract. After the first year, rate increases will not occur more than twice in any (12) twelve month period. We will complete rate reviews to determine need for increase based on Medicare fee schedule and cost of doing business. We agree to furnish a thirty (30) day notice to the Commissioners of any rate increase.”

Possible job opportunities for laid off city firefighter/paramedics

Baker City’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 reduces the fire department staffing from 16.25 full-time equivalents to 10.5.

Three firefighter/paramedic positions are vacant, and the city is not recruiting to fill those openings due to the planned staffing cuts.

Nichols said state law, which is reflected in the county’s request for proposals, requires that for six months after a new ambulance provider starts, the provider has to give hiring preference to qualified employees from the previous provider — the Baker City Fire Department, in this case.

Nichols said he hopes Metro West can hire current Baker City Fire Department workers who will lose their jobs when the city discontinues ambulance operation.

The Metro West proposal addresses that issue, stating: “As part of our staffing and experience model, we want to start off by proposing to offer shared staffing with Baker City Fire Department. We would be willing to contract with Baker City for Firefighter EMTs and Paramedics to help staff our primary or back up units reimbursing the City for their time spent on units. We would also offer to hire any fire Paramedics or EMT’s that lose employment with Baker City. Additionally we would be willing to lease space for our units and staff at Baker City Fire stations. As part of this partnership, we will offer training and classes at no charge to the Baker City Fire Department to further solidify our relationship with this important agency.”