Old Forge Volunteer Ambulance Corps Facing Challenges

TOWN OF WEBB-The Old Forge Volunteer Ambulance Corps is facing challenges because of high fuel costs. The ambulance Corps covers a large area and faces growing financial challenges as costs rise and insurance reimbursements remain the same. Chief Danielle Hoepfl told reporters from WKTV that the squad sits nearly 50 miles from Wynn Hospital in Utica and can only bill insurance for miles traveled with a patient on board. This means crews often travel long distances that are not reimbursed. Hoepfl said, “We’re only allowed to bill for loaded miles, and because we are such a large area and such a big distance from the hospital, we’re only able to bill while we’re loaded, but we still have a long way to come home.” Rising fuel prices are not the only concern for the squad. Prices of supplies have gone up, everything across the board just like everyone’s household and everyone feels the pinch, and with us, we do receive some tax dollars, we do get some small reimbursement from the insurance companies, but we still have to go out and raise funds to keep us in business.” Hoepfl went on to say that the financial strain is also making it harder to recruit new members. Recruitment is down and families are put in harder positions where they’re having to work one, two, or three jobs because costs are so much higher. Hoepfl hopes that State and federal officials will work together to find a solution that will help ambulance squads like Old Forge.