LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WBEN) The Lockport City Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday night in an attempt to resolve an anticipated void in ambulance service for the city of Lockport after January 31, 2023.
Twin City Ambulance has notified city lawmakers that it will be ending service in Lockport on January 31.
Lockport City Council president Paul Beakman, Jr. told WBEN Monday, the solution, in his opinion, is a common sense one.
"The logical plan is to allow the Lockport Fire Department, which is fully staffed with paramedics, to take over ambulance service. But I'm getting negative feedback from members of the Council and it's preventing us from bringing back this lifesaving service," he said.
There is pushback to the plan due to a proposal from Mercy EMS. But Beakman said Mercy does not have the employees, the equipment or a location in the city of Lockport.
"The only right thing to do, to protect our citizens, is to allow the Lockport Fire Department to resume ambulance service."
Beakman believes the pushback is political. "I'm not a politician. I'm a retired Lockport Policeman. I've dedicated my whole life to public safety. This is about life and death."
There is a big difference when comparing the two options side by side.
"The total cost of restoring ambulance service with the city fire department, is $11,958 dollars, which would be taken out of contingency. The revenue expected to be brought in is over $750-thousand dollars. Plus, Lockport Fire has two ambulances ready to go. They just need two stretchers. The Mercy proposal would wipe out 317-thousand dollars from our contingency (our entire contingency) and it comes with a 4% tax increase."
In addition, Beakman said under the Mercy proposal, the city would be forced to put city paramedics on Mercy ambulances to ride with the patients. Patients would be billed for that. Mercy would also not be up to speed
to begin providing service for six months.
Beakman said he's been praying all weekend that this will get resolved. "The Mercy proposal does not solve the problem. Whereas, running Lockport fire ambulances, would be an immediate solution to keep our citizens safe."
He's hoping cooler heads prevail. "My hope is that common sense returns and we can come to a workable solution that allows our fire department to return to ambulance service."
