The City and the Fire District on the EMS takeover proposal.

Recently the Raytown Fire Protection District submitted a proposal to take over the City of Raytown’s EMS service (ambulance). The City declined the proposal.  Below is the letter Mayor Bower sent to the Fire District and the responding letter from the present Fire Marshal Mace. 

I have also added the Mayor’s response to Fire Marshal Mace’s response. The timing was close enough that it makes sense to add it to this article.

 I have reviewed the proposal, which was well presented and offered by the Fire District, to merge the City’s EMS with the Fire District. And, it is my opinion, like that of the Board of Alderman’s Committee members, the potential advantage to the City (the Citizens) this proposal offers, along with the consequent discussions and correspondence, is not great enough to put into effect the merger.  

On behalf of the BOA, I appreciate the proposal being made and the hard work that went into the preparation of such. Like the Fire District, this Administration, and the City’s EMS, is committed to provide the Citizens of Raytown the best service possible and will continue to do such.  

In the event the Fire District wishes to offer another proposal, at some point in the future, I assure you the proposal will be given the attention warranted.  

Thank you.

Mayor David Bower

Mr. Mayor,

On behalf of the Raytown Fire Protection District I thank you for the time and effort the City has put forth.  While we are confident that the $300,000 of annual projected savings to the citizens of Raytown more than justified further exploration of this merger, we respect and stand by both you and Alderman Melson’s decision.  We are aware that Raytown EMS has been able to find savings during the 2014 budget process and I applaud their efforts for doing so.  The fact of the matter is sir, unless you can operate your department with six fewer employees, the fire district’s proposal will always be $300,000.00  cheaper.  It is a simple mathematical equation; each employee has an average total cost of employment of $50,000 and $50,000 X 6 employees = $300,000. If you combine this number with the recent reductions Director Jonesi has implemented we believe the actual reduction to the taxpayers of Raytown to be close to half a million dollars a year. For the Fire District this proposal was a zero sum gain to our budget, meaning we only planned to bill the city for our actual audited costs. So this would have been truly a net gain for our community.

Albert Einstein was once quoted as saying ” Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  While the Raytown Fire Protection District’s door will always remain open to further discussion, we do not see a value in pursuing a new Raytown Fire proposal. It is apparent the submitted proposal was lacking items the City of Raytown was obviously expecting, if the City wishes to explore this at a future date we believe the City of Raytown should develop the proposal to include the items we were lacking and submit it to the Fire District for review.

Matt Mace
Fire Marshal
Raytown Fire Protection District

 Matt,

It is not my desire to continue to debate the merits of the proposed merger through the media, as has been occurring, nor do I wish to make this decision a ‘political’ event.  We had a respectable conversation, you and I and Mike Hunley, and I explained to you that I would review the financial side of things myself and respond to you when I had completed such.  This review has been completed, and I agree with the ‘Committee’ on their decision. 

You quoted Albert Einstein as saying ” Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  This Administration has diligently worked to ‘streamline’ the city government, to make decisions based upon good business reasoning, and not what is perhaps politically desired and many changes have occurred for the betterment of the citizens.  We have reduced the City’s Budget, without a reduction of staff in any of our departments to make the budget work, and we have improved the services provided our citizens by making good sound logical decisions.  Further, the ‘business practice’ the EMS has undertaken, under the watchful eye of the City Administer, and the Board of Alderman, has in fact changed and for the betterment of the citizens of Raytown.  We have the same practice in mind as does the Fire District, provide the citizens of Raytown with the service they deserve, as efficiently as possible, and do so by making sound business decisions.

Finally, I again express my appreciation for the proposal.  It was well prepared and presented, but after talking with the Committee Chairman, the Committee members, the Senior Staff, and through my own analysis, it did not make good business sense for the City. 

Thank you.

Mayor David W. Bower