A Chautauqua County EMS sport utility vehicle is pictured outside the Falconer Fire Department. A partnership between Falconer and the county could be used as a model for other fire department to handle EMS billing. Photo by the Falconer Fire Department

Chautauqua County has a new partnership with the Falconer Fire Department that will help the organization eventually buy a new ambulance. The partnership could also be a model with other local volunteer fire departments.

According county Emergency Services Director Noel Guttman, New York state is the only state in the country that does not allow volunteer fire departments to bill for emergency medical services. However, the county Emergency Management Services has a countywide Certificate Of Need authority to operate. Falconer is now going to partner with the county’s EMS so that the fire department will operate under the county’s Certificate Of Need.

“(Falconer) is still their own agency. They’ll have their own ambulance but they will be working under our CON, and we will basically be doing a profit sharing of the billing. That will allow Falconer to recover some of their costs for providing an EMS service while allowing Chautauqua County to share those profits as well,” Guttman explained.

Guttman said EMS accounts for up to 90% of most volunteer fire department calls. That also means it causes a lot of expense.

“This will allow Falconer to partner with us and start planning for their financial future to replace their ambulance,” said Guttman,, who added that a new ambulance can cost $240,000.

Guttman explained that the county provides administrative support but is not staffing their department. “They’re still going to be Falconer EMTs running their calls. They’ll still be identified as Falconer. The only outward difference is you will see on the side of their ambulances will say ‘As operated by Chautauqua County EMS,'” he said.

This partnership could be expanded to other fire departments in the county as well. Guttman noted that there are 42 fire departments in the county. The city of Dunkirk, Fredonia, and Jamestown all have billing partners and don’t need the county’s assistance. All the other 39 departments in the county could be eligible.

Falconer has decided it wants to use its billing revenue to save for a new ambulance. However, Guttman said as far as the county is concerned, volunteer fire departments can use EMS billing revenue for other things as well.

“If a fire department were to partner with us, we don’t care what they do with their share of the revenue,” he said.

Some fire departments in other counties use funds as incentives to attract volunteers or reward longtime members. Others use the money to buy equipment. Guttman said it’s really up to that department to decide how to use that money.

During a legislative committee meeting last month, it was announced that Celoron was exploring this partnership as well. Guttman confirmed that is correct.

“I’m working with Celoron,” he said. “We’re not quite as far along as Falconer is. I would feel confident in saying that Celoron would be the next department that will be most likely following suit with this. And then several other departments have contacted me about their interest.”