Oklahoma City Council To Vote On Whether To Retain EMSA As Ambulance Provider

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma City Council will decide later this month on whether to retain Emergency Medical Services Authority as its ambulance provider.<br/><br/>City officials voted 6-to-2 during

Wednesday, October 4th 2006, 6:15 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma City Council will decide later this month on whether to retain Emergency Medical Services Authority as its ambulance provider.

City officials voted 6-to-2 during its weekly meeting Tuesday to delay a vote until October 24th.

Officials have until the end of the month to notify Tulsa if Oklahoma City desires to end its participation in EMSA.

Council members have been looking at various proposals to shift responsibility for ambulance service to the fire department. Yesterday, city staffers recommended the city continue its agreement with EMSA.

Updated numbers show it would cost at least $800,000 more a year to move ambulance service to the fire department than it would to continue paying subsidies to EMSA during the next five years.

The city now pays EMSA subsidies from its general fund, which comes primarily from sales taxes.

City council members said they would like to look at creating an ambulance district, which would allow the city to collect property taxes to pay for ambulance services.