Noble Ambulance Service at Risk, Firefigthers Say

Noble in Cleveland County is struggling with how to pay for its ambulance service, and its struggles appear to be causing friction with its fire department.

Monday, June 1st 2009, 5:10 pm

By: News 9


By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

NOBLE, Oklahoma -- It seems a number of towns and cities in Oklahoma are struggling with how to pay for its ambulance service. Noble in Cleveland County is no exception, and its struggles appear to be causing friction with its fire department.

It's not on the agenda tonight, but some people will probably come to the Noble City Council meeting tonight wanting to discuss a flyer. Circulated by the local fire fighters' union, it warns Noble's ambulance service could be eliminated, meaning the dismissal of some firefighters.

As in many towns, the fire department in Noble provides the ambulance service, and all 13 firefighters are trained EMT's. They make about 1,000 calls a year. But the ambulance service operates at a deficit--about $90,000 a year. And with contract negotiations between the city and the firefighters at an impasse, the firefighters believe the city wants to eliminate ambulance service all together.

"If the city loses their ambulance service they can cut the amount of firefighters and what that would do is cut the protection and also increase the insurance rates the citizens of Noble have," Firefighters Union President Will Biswell said.

Learn more about the possible insurance rate increases.

Some of the downtown merchants have the flyers in their front windows. Jim Wolf has personal reasons for wanting to preserve the ambulance service.

"Well, they just saved my life, in fact, just three weeks ago," Wolf said. "The fact that they responded so quickly and then they transported me so quickly to the hospital is the only reason I'm alive today."

City officials say there are no plans to make any changes in the ambulance service this year--or in years to come.

"We are not going to do anything that in anyway harm or be detrimental to the city or Noble as far as their EMS or fire service is, you know, for the future," Noble Mayor Gary Hayes said.

But the annual subsidy for the ambulance service drains revenue away from other needs--such as capital projects and street maintenance.

The Noble City Council meeting is expected to start around 6:30 this evening.

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