County Council is taking a long look at how EMS can best serve the county as the service falls on hard times.

Monday, the County Council Public Safety Committee discussed how to best adjust the EMS structure.

Currently, staffing has two ambulances stationed on Evans Street, an ambulance at the Lake Murray Public Safety Complex and one part-time ambulance at Whitmire. Also, there are two quick response vehicles in Silverstreet and Pomaria.

Ideas have floated around about moving the two ambulances from the Evans Street station. One would go to a new station on Highway 121 near the Bush River Industrial Park, the other would be in the Highway 219, I-26 area in a future city public safety complex.

That idea would require funds for two new buildings.

The residents of Silverstreet are lobbying for the ambulance slated to go to the Bush River Industrial Park to keep going up the road to the old Silverstreet Fire Department bay. With the new fire department built by the penny sales tax, the old station connected to the community center is empty.

Silverstreet-area Councilman Bill Waldrop says the suggestion would give quicker response times to the growing Lake Greenwood and Stoney Hill areas, along with Bush River, Chappells and Silverstreet. He adds there would be no cost for the move.

EMS Director Bill Grigsby said he was open to the idea.

Grigsby suggested keeping one ambulance at Evans Street and at Lake Murray, moving the other to Silverstreet, keeping an ambulance at Whitmire on weekdays when the Whitmire Rescue Squad has less manpower to run calls, and putting a quick response vehicle in Pomaria. Grigsby said if finances worked out, another quick response vehicle with a paramedic might be put at Whitmire during the night.

Also at the meeting, EMS discussed cost overruns.

While collections are up and spending is within budget, changes in collections have left the service in a deficit.

The problem revolves around how patients are billed. In previous years, the service was able to collect $100 more for many of its calls, but Medicare has reduced the rate.

EMS asked for $95,000 to make up the shortfall.

While the committee did not agree, Adams suggested a special revenue fund be created for EMS. This would be spent at the discretion of the service, which is run by the Newberry County Memorial Hospital. If there were savings at the end of the year, it would be kept in EMS funds and not returned to the county coffers as in previous years.

The county will monitor the financial situation and EMS staff will report back to the committee at the end of the calendar year.

The new EMS structure will be discussed before the full council at its Oct. 21 meeting. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex on College Street.