For the first time in its history, Chautauqua County’s Fly Car program is running in the black.

The change in the program’s financial health is due in part to increased revenues as county officials and its billing partner have done a better job of capturing money owed for services as well as a realistic 2025 budget that increased up-front county spending rather than simply planning on a late-year budget adjustment to pay the fly car program’s costs.

It’s good to see, because for much of the county the fly car program is a literal lifesaver. The fly car program supplements volunteer fire departments in the county, providing an Emergency Medical Technician when volunteer EMTs may not be available. It also does ambulance transports. The program was created in response to a shortage of volunteer EMTs throughout the county, particularly in rural areas where shrinking populations and job commitments have made it difficult for volunteer fire departments to respond to calls during the day.

The sheer number of calls each year tells even the most financially conservative county residents that the fly car system is needed. The question has always been financial. Don’t forget, the county hasn’t always been flush with cash. There was a time when county officials were legitimately worried about exhausting its reserves. Starting the fly car program so quickly after selling the Chautauqua County Home – for financial reasons, by the way – was a financial risk. Years of financial losses created a very real question about the program’s financial viability even as its need was never in question.

“Even if it costs us money to do this (EMT service), which is important, I just want the budgeting to be correct,” legislator Dan Pavlock said during committee meetings last week.

We couldn’t agree more. It’s important that the fly car system remain available to rural county residents, and that availability depends on the program remaining financially solvent so that it isn’t on the chopping block if our financial debates in the county turn from how to spend a $38 million surplus to how to balance the county budget without hefty tax increases.