Plymouth Fire Chief Rod Miller presented members of the Board of Public Works and Safety with an agreement from Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center for pharmaceutical and medical supplies.
In the past the hospital has provided and drugs and medical supplies to the ambulance service free of charge but that has come to an end quicker than the chief had expected.
The hospital will begin billing the Fire Department once a month for the various supplies they need to keep the ambulance equipped. Miller said, “They are not making money on us. They are only recouping their costs.” He indicated they he may be able to find a vendor for some of the medical supplies but since SJRMC is their sponsoring hospital the pharmaceuticals will need to be purchased from them but medical supplies could be obtained elsewhere.
Chief Miller said this agreement will have a $5,000 to $7,000 impact on his budget this year. He anticipates seeking an additional appropriation later in the year. The contract begins March 1st.
Board of Works member Duane Culp asked if the additional cost could be added on to the billing for services and the chief said the company that does the billing uses a tiered system so the more services provided to a customer the higher the fee.
The Board of Works unanimously approved the new agreement.
