Talks continue for proposed EMS budget cuts

May 26—CUMBERLAND — County residents want an ambulance to arrive when they need it, and medical first responders want to show up for the call.

But that connection, between victims and rescuers, has been threatened by budget problems neither group caused nor controls.

As Allegany County officials call for a $2 million cut to emergency medical services, the union that represents 46 full-time Department of Emergency Services employees has tentatively agreed to some terms, and awaits proposed amendments to its contract from the county.

"We are still working at a staff level to come up with proposed budget cuts and nothing official has been announced just yet," Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett said Thursday. "We are hopeful to begin to have some details next week after receiving input from our supervisors and EMS union."

Meanwhile, DES Director Jimmy Pyles talked of his leadership ability, and said "EMS in Allegany County has never been better."

ViewIn a Cumberland Times-News interview Monday, Pyles said EMS "has been outstanding in the five years I've been leading it."

But the department's first responders say that view doesn't paint the whole picture.

Pyles said the national average for survival of a cardiac arrest is 10%.

"The survival rate in Allegany County for a cardiac arrest was 5% when I was selected as the head of the department in 2019," he said. "In 2023, the survival rate for a cardiac arrest in Allegany County is now 11%."

However, multiple factors, organizations and stages of care are key to patient success.

According to the National Library of Medicine, "prehospital resuscitation care is complex and multi-faceted requiring coordination of multiple governmental and non-governmental agencies."

Ultimately, the cardiac arrest survival rate pertains to people who leave a hospital and resume functional lives, said Steve Corioni, president of the Allegany County International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1715.

He talked of first responders who work toward that outcome.

"It's our people out there running the (emergency) calls that make the numbers look good," Corioni said.

AccountabilityIn addition to staff workers, local volunteer EMS members question DES' accountability and say the proposed funding decrease will threaten lives.

The budget cuts would likely result in layoffs of 24 DES employees, Corioni said.

That number comes from an email Pyles recently sent county administration and Corioni that listed cost-cutting measures for EMS.

"Eliminate staffing at three volunteer locations," Pyles wrote.

Eight workers are assigned to each of those stations, Corioni said.

But Pyles on Monday said "laying off 24 people has never been discussed," and added "as of right now, I don't see any stations closed, any layoffs."

He said his email was simply "a recommendation" and is not "what's gonna happen."

BudgetEMS is making money, Pyles said.

"We're generating more EMS revenue in county history when you call 911," he said.

The deficit "is just a decision that the (county) commissioners made to cut $2 million out of my budget because we're a fast-growing department," Pyles said.

"There's no one that can manage a budget better than me," he said. "I view the taxpayer money as my money."

However, "there's only so many things I can come up with to cut a budget," Pyles said.

He said 87% of the EMS budget goes to employee salaries and benefits.

"Since 90% of local EMS calls are now being performed by county-paid personnel, recovering a larger portion of ambulance fees charged to insurance companies is needed to ease the burden on all county taxpayers in replacing the shrinking pool (of) available community volunteers," Pyles said.

CommunicationMany volunteers from departments across the county have said Pyles does not engage or communicate with them.

"Are the volunteers disgruntled? I don't know," Pyles said. "I never receive that feedback."

There's room for communication "in any" department, he said.

Pyles said he's responsible for DES, and volunteer departments are their own entity.

"The only thing I'm invited to is banquets," he said. "I do not go to the banquets ... I have two stepchildren and seven grandchildren so it's very hard for me on a Saturday evening to go to a banquet."

Pyles said he believes in chain of command.

"The lieutenants are there every single day," he said. "I'm not gonna tell them how to run their organization and they're not gonna tell me. We have to work together."

BackgroundPyles said an emergency medical services background is not required to run DES.

"President Donald Trump is the, was the, president of the United States," Pyles said. "Did he ever shoot anybody? No. But was he in charge of the armed forces? Yes. I am an emergency manager. If you look who I replaced, he was a 911 dispatcher."

Pyles said he doesn't need to be a paramedic or EMT.

"I have no need to have that knowledge," he said.

Pyles said he's "taken a failing department" and "made it the best of the best."

"I'm damn good at what I do," he said.

Volunteers"I love the volunteers," Pyles said.

For many years, volunteer EMS stations saved the county millions of dollars, he said.

"That time is no more," Pyles said.

"If (DES doesn't) exist, EMS in Allegany County does not exist" and 911 calls will go "to the wayside," he said.

"Jimmy Pyles can tell you this all day," Pyles said. "But you've gotta look at the data," he said.

To back up his claims, Pyles pointed to his appearances on Fox 45 and WJLA-TV.

A reporter in the Fox interview said DES has the fastest response time in Allegany County history, "according to Pyles."

FutureShould the county be in charge of EMS at the volunteer stations?

"That's not a decision for Director Pyles to make," Pyles said.

His contract with the county is set to renew in February.

When asked about his future, Pyles said he has "no plans" for retirement.

"As for public office, that's always open," he said and added any office he might consider is a confidential decision to be "made by my wife and myself."

Teresa McMinn is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com.