Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse Posing with the Cardinal Joint Fire District’s fleet of ambulances are, from left, EMT Cory Hinderliter, paramedics Shane Uhrain and Mike Felcyn, and EMTs Hayden Smith and Mike Sofranko.

CANFIELD — The numbers are in for the first full year of ambulance service in Canfield.

Not only were the expected number of transports exceeded, but the savings to Canfield residents was a good chunk.

“We started transporting from all three (fire) stations on July 1, 2018,” said Cardinal Joint Fire District Chief Don Hutchison. “In the first 12 months, we transported 947 patients to hospital emergency rooms.”

An advantage to having the fire department handle the ambulance service is that because Canfield residents pay taxes to the fire district, the fire district will not charge residents for the service.

“We soft bill, which is billing the insurance company then accepting whatever they pay,” the chief said. “What the insurance companies don’t pay, we forgive.”

According to the Cincinnati company that does the billing, Canfield residents had $82,039.94 forgiven in the first year of service that ended June 30, 2019.

The fire district also was expecting to answer 800 emergency medical transports, and the 947 actual transports brought in enough funds to help offset the extra personnel needed to staff the three ambulances.

Another plus to the service is having personnel staffing all three stations. Hutchison said the goal was to have three people at each station.

“If there is a medical call, they jump in the ambulance,” he said. “If it is a fire call, they jump in the firetruck, which also carries medical equipment.”

Over the first year, the Cardinal Joint Fire District averaged one day per month where all three ambulances were out on calls at the same time. As a backup, the district brings in staff for the firetrucks while also depending on mutual aid. Green Township, Beaver and Ellsworth have mutual aid agreements, and each entity will pitch in to help each other. Canfield has backed up all three communities.

On the fire side, having the stations staffed and other measures put into the Canfield district have helped in the Insurance Service Organization rating. ISO rates communities on their fire service on a scale of 1 through 10, with 10 being the worst and 1 being the best. That rating helps determine the rate charged for house insurance.

“If your home is within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant, your class went from a 4 to a 3,” Hutchison said. “If you are more than 1,000 feet, your class went from a 6 to a 5.”

He said this change just took place, and homeowners may want to check with their insurance companies to get their premiums lowered. He said for every classification reduction, homeowners could see a 5 percent to 8 percent reduction.

With the ambulance service well into the second year of service, plans are to improve the fleet. Presently, the department has two new ambulances (a 2017 and a 2018) and one used one (a 2002). Plans are to keep the 2002 as a backup and order a new ambulance in 2020. The cost for a new ambulance is about $230,000 with equipment and supplies.

“They are expensive because the regular springs are removed and a liquid ride system is installed,” Hutchison said. “That system is self-leveling and greatly reduces road bumps.”

He said next year also will see the delivery of the department’s new $1.2 million ladder truck. The average lifespan for a ladder truck is 25 years, and the one the department has is 28 years old.

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