Colfax Rescue Squad per capita increasing by 25 cents to $16.42

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX — The per capita charge for municipalities covered by the Colfax Rescue Squad is expected to increase by 25 cents for 2018 to $16.42.

The per capita charge has been increased three times in the last 10 years, in 2008, 2013 and now in 2018, said Don Knutson, director of the Colfax Rescue Squad, at the rescue squad’s annual meeting August 30.

The Colfax Village Board approved a recommendation from the public safety committee at the August 28 meeting to increase the per capita for the rescue squad by 25 cents for 2018.

The village board will approve the rescue squad’s proposed budget later in the fall.

The Colfax Rescue Squad provides ambulance service to the Villages of Colfax, Elk Mound and Wheeler and the Towns of Colfax, Elk Mound, Grant, Otter Creek, Sand Creek and Tainter.

The increase in the per capita, representing a 1.5 percent change, will increase revenue for the Colfax Rescue Squad by $1,913.89.

Over the next five to ten years, the rescue squad will have to invest in some expensive items, including  new ambulances, Knutson said.

The price of a new ambulance this year is $215,000 and is expected to have increased by the time Colfax must replace an ambulance in 2020.

The Colfax Rescue Squad replaces ambulances on a 10-year rotation and puts approximately 10,000 miles per year on each of the two ambulances.

The total proposed budget for 2018 is $461,862.66, representing an increase of $1,914.66 over the 2017 budget.

Per capita

The Village of Colfax paid a per capita amount of $18,158.91 in 2017. The proposed amount for 2018 is $18,324.72, representing an increase of $165.81.

The Town of Colfax paid a per capita amount of $20,309.52 in 2017. The proposed amount for 2018 is $20,590.68, representing an increase of $281.16.

The Village of Elk Mound paid $14,100.24 in 2017, and the proposed amount for 2018 is $14,285.40, representing an increase of $185.16.

The Town of Elk Mound paid $30,787.68 in 2017, and the proposed amount for 2018 is $31,280.10, representing an increase of $492.42.

The Town of Grant paid $6,338.64 in 2017, and the proposed amount for 2018 is $6,453.06, representing an increase of $114.42.

The Town of Otter Creek paid $8,165.85 in 2017, and the proposed amount for 2018 is $8,259.26, representing an increase of $93.41.

The Town of Sand Creek paid $9,346.26 in 2017, and the proposed amount for 2018 is $9,425.08, representing an increase of $78.82.

The Town of Tainter paid $19,484.85 in 2017, and the proposed amount for 2018 is $19,917.46, representing an increase of $432.61.

The Village of Wheeler paid $5,594.82 in 2017, and the proposed amount for 2018 is $5,664.90, representing an increase of $70.08.

The total proposed per capita revenue for the Colfax Rescue Squad in 2018 is $134,200.66.

10 year plan

Included in the ten-year plan for the Colfax Rescue Squad is $2,000 for 2018 to install wi-fi Internet access for the ambulances.

The ambulance wi-fi will improve communication with the hospitals and will broaden the range of the communication, Knutson said.

Right now, dead spots exist between Colfax and Elk Mound, and in the townships served by the Colfax Rescue Squad, quite a few dead spots show up in various locations, he said.

Self-loading cots also are in the ten-year plan. The cost is around $50,000, but a grant currently is pending for covering the cost, Knutson said.

Self-loading cots will make it easier for Emergency Medical Technicians to move patients and will decrease the risk of injury to EMTs from lifting patients, he said.

In 2018, the rescue squad plans to replace a cook stove at the station at a cost of around $500. The existing cook stove was donated used and should be replaced, Knutson said.

Installing a floor drain for the ambulance bay will be delayed until more money is available or a financing option presents itself, such as a grant. The floor drain is estimated to cost $10,000 and would eliminate puddles in the apparatus bay that create slipping hazards for rescue squad personnel, Knutson said.

The rescue squad replaces a computer every two years at a cost of between $800 and $1,000. In 2021, the rescue squad expects to replace the “rugged” computer used in the ambulance at a cost of around $4,000, he said.

In 2023, the Colfax Rescue Squad’s defibrillators will need to be replaced at an approximate cost of $70,000. The defibrillators will be ten years old in 2023, Knutson said.

The rescue squad’s second ambulance will be up for replacement in 2025, and in 2027, the rescue squad will need to evaluate building needs and possible expansion, he said.

Ambulance rates

The Colfax Rescue Squad is proposing to increase ambulance rates for 2018.

Some ambulance services charge a rate and mileage but do not charge for supplies. Medicare will only reimburse the base rate and for loaded miles but not for supplies, Knutson said.

Colfax currently charges for supplies but could increase the base rate more to cover the supplies and then not bill separately for the supplies, he said.

Increasing the base rate and not billing for supplies would likely result in a net gain for the Colfax Rescue Squad, Knutson said.

Knutson asked the representatives for the municipalities attending the annual meeting for their thoughts on increasing the base rate and no longer billing for supplies.

The consensus was that if Medicare does not reimburse for supplies, the Colfax Rescue Squad may as well increase the base rate and eliminate invoicing for supplies.

The resident base rate for basic life support in 2017 was $751.95. The proposed base rate for 2018 is $782.03, representing a $30.08 increase.

The non-resident base rate for basic life support in 2017 was $910.42. The proposed base rate for 2018 is $946.84, representing a $36.42 increase.

The resident base rate for advanced life support was $887.79 in 2017, and the proposed base rate for 2018 is $923.30, representing an increase of $35.51.

The non-resident base rate for advanced life support was $1,046.26 in 2017, and the proposed base rate for 2018 is $1,088.11, representing an increase of $41.85.

Mileage for a resident transport is $16.79, and the proposed 2018 rate is $16.92, representing a 13 cent increase.

Mileage for a non-resident transport is $18.09 for 2017, and the proposed for 2018 is $18.23, representing a 14 cent increase.

The “refusal” rate, when an ambulance is called but the patient refuses transport, is $196.12 in 2017, and the proposed amount for 2018, is $203.96, representing an increase of $7.84.