YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) - For several years the city of Youngstown has gone back and forth on what to do about emergency services for the community. On Thursday, the city’s safety committee was supposed to make a decision on if they will spend $50,000 on a feasibility study to see if they are able to start and maintain its own ambulance service, but no administration from the fire department attended the meeting so the committee tabled the decision until its May meeting. 

“The committee said we need to have more information from the fire chief as to why this sort of price tag is necessary,” Anitia Davis, chairperson of the Youngstown Safety Committee said. 

The study would look into if independent services could be started or if the services could be incorporated into the fire departments. The Association of International Firefighters is in favor of ambulance services being a part of the fire department.

“This is nothing new,” Jon Racco, Youngstown President of Association of International Firefighters said. “We are one of the only departments, not only in this area but across the state and probably across the country, that do not provide those services … It would bring our fire department into the modern age and it’s unfortunately been overlooked for years now.”

But committee members want to weigh all of their options. 

“The Firefighters Association, they're going to say bring it in house.,” Davis said. “We know that there are other places where the service is not done within the fire department that is its own entity, totally separate.”

The association has already done a study similar to the one the city is looking to pay for. It was conducted back in 2018 and was paid for by the union.

“At the end of the study, at the very back page, it talks about how our department is absolutely well suited to be able to do this,” Racco said. 

Whichever option is chosen, staffing the services could be a challenge. The fire department is already seeing a shortage in its employees - so much so that they have to shut down stations because they don’t have the staff and EMS services across the country are seeing a 40% turnover rate. 

When 21 News asked Davis if she thinks the city would be able to staff an city-led ambulance service she said “that's what the feasibility study would tell us.” 

The city currently has a contract with Emergency Medical Transportation until 2026 which costs the city $4,000,000. Racco feels if the city can invest in third party services then they can invest in local fire departments.

The committee plans to discuss if they will approve paying for the study at its meeting on May 17.