Mark Lauer of Center Two, 55, left, Amy McConnell, Chicora, 48, center, and Kevin Heasley, 30, Leeper, check the readiness of one of two ambulances in their service. Karns City EMS, located in Petrolia, Butler County, recently purchased a "new to them" ambulance from a fire department in Ohio. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle 06/22/22

“We don’t think they understand our plight,” Mark Lauer said of the cost of running an ambulance service.

The members of Karns City Regional Ambulance Service gathered Tuesday evening, Oct. 18, to discuss the struggles of maintaining its part-time service and potential solutions.

Board member Kandi Nassy said several representatives met Oct. 11 in Grove City to brainstorm solutions for funding and staffing shortages faced by EMS services. She and Lauer, president of the service, relayed the information to their small team.

“The representatives were questioning why there weren’t enough volunteers,” Lauer said. “They continued to lean to it being a local municipal government issue and said they want to work with (them) on that.”

Karns City Regional Ambulance Service has operated for three years, said Michael Turner, a member of the service. For funding, they survive on a subscription service and the flat fees allowed for ambulance services by Medicare and Medicaid.

“Medicare sets the standard for reimbursement for the billing companies. We haven’t seen an increase in decades. They passed a law to increase that reimbursement flat fee by $100,” he said.

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