NLV Fire Department wants cut of private company’s ambulance calls

By Erin Dostal

Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

The North Las Vegas Fire Department wants to take over some of a private ambulance service’s business by becoming the city’s sole ambulance provider to respond to car crashes and other serious emergencies.

During a special City Council meeting Wednesday, fire officials, representatives of MedicWest and residents discussed the proposal aimed at bringing more revenue to the fire department.

If approved, the proposal would generate about $1.6 million a year for the fire department and could save up to 16 jobs, officials said. The fire department is facing having to layoff 21 firefighters.

At the start of the meeting, Councilman Robert L. Eliason made a motion to postpone a decision on the matter until the March 3 council meeting. The motion passed.

Mayor Shari Buck — the only council member to vote against postponing the vote — still opened the public forum.

Twenty-one people spoke — four in favor of the fire department’s proposal, 12 against it, and five who didn’t take a side.

The Chamber of Commerce and MedicWest officials expressed concern that the proposal is an instance of the public sector attempting to drive out private business.

John Wilson, founder and general manager of MedicWest, said a city takeover would harm ambulance service available in the area.

“We have an incredibly good system. It’s very efficient,” he said, adding that his company is entirely funded by user fees.

“I get that the firefighters are concerned about jobs; we’re concerned about jobs,” Wilson said. “We just don’t think that the public sector should take over private-sector jobs.”

In a letter dated Feb. 16 to Councilwoman Anita Wood, Sharon Powers, president of the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, expressed similar concerns.

“Government should only do what the private sector cannot or will not do,” Powers said in the letter. “In light of the critical budget shortfall, government should look hard at privatizing positions instead of creating positions.”

The chamber’s chairman of the board, Joe Cain, said he worried this would deter new businesses from moving to North Las Vegas.

“I think that that sends a really terrible message,” he said. “We need to do everything we can to create a pro-business environment.”

North Las Vegas Fire Chief Al Gillespie said if the fire department takes on the additional calls, it would generate about $1.6 million in revenues each year.

“We’re not here to make a profit,” Gillespie said. “We’re here to recoup some of the expense.”

Each year, MedicWest makes about $60 million in the Las Vegas Valley, Gillespie said. The proposal in North Las Vegas would cut into that by about 7 percent, not a significant amount, he said.

North Las Vegas Firefighters make about $23.50 per hour and, with benefits, cost the city about $105,000 per year each.

Dan Pentkowski, head of the Henderson Professional Firefighters, said the fire department in Henderson handles all emergency calls.

It’s a good system, he said. “I urge them to expand the role of firefighters in North Las Vegas,” he said.