City aims to change ambulance rates

PEA RIDGE — The City Council recently passed a resolution to get the rates charged for ambulance service provided by the Pea Ridge Fire-EMS Department more in line with other ambulance service providers in Benton County.

Saying that a city-operated ambulance department is never going to make money, interim Fire Chief Clint Bowen presented a request to the City Council during a work session Feb. 21 to change the rates for the Pea Ridge FireEMS Department.

“Fire, police, ambulance — I think the Water Department may be the only department that makes money — will never be for profit,” Bowen said.

“We are an advertisement for the type of service you get if you come to the city.”

“Nationally, fire, police, street departments are not for profit,” he said.

“Long story short, I had an unofficial committee look at all the billing in Northwest Arkansas. We try to be on par,” he said, adding that it is extremely difficult to consider the rates from Northeast Benton County Volunteer Fire-EMS Department as it’s not a municipal service. He said that the Pea Ridge rates were too high.

Bowen said there were multiples times within about six weeks that there were ambulances from other departments inside the city limits because Pea Ridge ambulance was already busy on a call.

He said it didn’t seem right to him that the person being served by the out-of-city ambulance would get a lower bill.

“What I have asked for here is to get on the same page as NEBCO and Rogers,” Bowen said. He presented a chart to council members comparing rates of Bella Vista, Bentonville, Central EMS, Lowell, NEBCO, Pea Ridge, Rogers, Siloam Springs and Springdale.

“I’ve been in the industry for 25 years. It’s always been a service,” he said.

Several specific cases were also brought up concerning walk-ins and other unique situations. Bowen said he is addressing that.

Council member Nadine Telgemeier asked: “Will these charges cover our expenses?”

“No,” Bowen said. “It’s never going to,” Bowen said.

“I don’t ever want the career that I love to be a legality. I want to treat people with kindness,” he said.

During the council meeting that followed the work session, council members unanimously approved a resolution adjusting rates and charges for the ambulance service.

The resolution states the rates shall be set “commensurate with elect other ambulance services in Benton County, Ark.”

It allows for rates to be reevaluated every two years and adjusted as necessary.

“Fire, police, ambulance — I think the Water Department may be the only department that makes money — will never be for profit.”

— Pea Ridge Fire Chief Clint Bowen