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City strikes deal with rescue squad; agreement bars Ogdensburg from establishing new ambulance service

Posted 12/5/24

OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad will continue to provide service to the city through Dec. 31 2029, following an agreement approved Monday by city council.

The agreement bars the …

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City strikes deal with rescue squad; agreement bars Ogdensburg from establishing new ambulance service

Posted

OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad will continue to provide service to the city through Dec. 31 2029, following an agreement approved Monday by city council.

The agreement bars the city from establishing an ambulance service for at least five years.

"The City recognizes that OVRS will provide transporting and emergency ambulance service in the City of Ogdensburg. OVRS will provide emergency ambulance services within the City of Ogdensburg for injuries, illnesses, and other medical emergencies. The City will not establish an ambulance service for the duration of this agreement," the deal reads.

Few changes were made to the existing contract, under which the city will sponsor all Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad members for worker's compensation insurance.

It ensures that OVRS will provide emergency medical services to city and employees and retirees at the Medicaid rate as well.

In regard to billing the deal reads as follows.

"It is understood that OVRS will bill patients directly, or through a billing company, for its services. Payments for services rendered shall be paid to OVRS directly, or through its billing company. All such revenue shall belong to OVRS, with the City having no claim or right to any such revenue," the agreement reads. "These charges shall not be deemed municipal charges or municipal user fees. Should any Court deem the charges to belong to the City, the City hereby assigns all such revenue to OVRS whenever collected, as additional consideration for this Agreement. The City shall have no claim to any revenue received from any other source by OVRS including but not limited to, billing, fund raising, donations, contracts with other municipalities or organizations, or bequests."

Mayor Michael Tooley praised the agreement.

In recent months OVRS Chief Ken Gardner raised concerns about North Star Alliance's plans to begin providing medical transportation by establishing its own ambulance service. He urged city council not to support the health organizations efforts and raised concerns that he thought it would hurt his own organization.

The city did not support the plan.

"OVRS has served the City of Ogdensburg and surrounding communities for 65 years now. I also remind you we continue to do so by answering almost 3,000 calls a year and doing so, with a scratch rate of 99%, the best in the county. Since this news has broken, I have also spoken with both State and County Legislators. In speaking with other ambulance companies in St. Lawrence, Lewis and Jefferson counties, all have expressed opposition to this proposed CON by North Star Alliance," Gardner said. "If this Council would like to sit down with me, I am more than willing to do so but until that time, once again, I ask this City Council to not support North Star Alliance’s request and adopt a resolution opposing their request for a Certificate of Need. Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Councilors, for your time this evening," said in a letter to council regarding the matter.

As for the service proposed by North Star Alliance, there have been no updates since September.