The county will be advancing tax money to Chocowinity EMS in order to keep the agency’s second ambulance active and staffed for the remainder of the year.

The agency will also apply for an ambulance franchise so generate more revenue to make the ambulance self-supporting.

In an emergency called meeting of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, Chocowinity EMS Board Chairman Jay McRoy asked commissioners to allocate up to $50,000 to keep the ambulance operating until then.

“I want to be very clear up front. This is not an issue of us against y’all. We want to work with you,” McRoy said.

For several years, Chocowinity EMS and the county board have had a combative relationship, leading to a Chocowinity EMS lawsuit against the county challenging the county’s prohibition of paramedic-staffed transports of patients from one medical facility to another. The county’s response was to cancel Chocowinity EMS’ contract and explore other options for service on the south side of the Pamlico River. Chocowinity, the first agency in the county to provide paramedic-level service, eventually got its new contract and the ability to make out-of-county, non-emergency transports, in order to support its two full-time ambulances and staff, however, the revenue generated was not enough.

McRoy said each ambulance costs roughly $100,000 a year to staff, equip and operate, which breaks down to $8,333 a month. Commissioners declined to give Chocowinity EMS the $8,333 per month, up to $50,000, instead deciding to advance the agency that amount from its share of the 2016-17 EMS service district tax, which has yet to be collected. Chocowinity EMS receives $320,000 per year of the service district tax from the county, and it takes an estimated $840,000 a year to operate two ambulances. Chocowinity EMS expected the $520,000 difference to be made up through billing and fundraisers, but fell short, and has asked the county to consider allowing Chocowinity EMS to make transports inside the county — specifically filling a gap in service of transporting severely obese patients. Tar heel Transport previously covered those transports, but owner Steve Williams pulled out of convalescent transports in Beaufort County earlier this year, according to Beaufort County Manager Brian Alligood.

Faced with shutting the second ambulance down immediately, McRoy requested Wednesday’s meeting and made the case that residents on the south side of the river could not afford to have the second ambulance out of service.

In 2015, Chocowinity EMS made at total of 1,354 calls, 952 of which were 911 calls; the others were transports. Chocowinity EMS has three ambulances, one of which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is used strictly for 911 calls. The third ambulance is an older one and could be used to make the point-to-point transports within the county. Bertie, Edgecombe, Nash and Washington counties allow EMS to make non-emergency transports within the county, using that billing revenue to fund EMS.

“We just can’t keep operating this second truck right now,” McRoy said. “We’ve pretty much reached our limit. We need some help until we can get to the period where we can generate some funds.”

Commissioners voted to advance the funds until Chocowinity EMS can make money doing transports. The agency will also apply for an ambulance franchise, which must first be approved by the EMS Oversight committee, then be read publicly at two county commissioners meetings in August and September. Chocowinity EMS’ contract will then be amended to reflect its status as a transport company.

“We will never put the citizens at risk because of other folks decisions,” said Beaufort County board Chairman Jerry Langley. “Right now, what I’m saying is, let us afford you the opportunity to make this work. And then, if it doesn’t work, we’re not going to punish the people on the south side of the river.”

The EMS oversight committee meeting will be Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. in the County Administrative Office boardroom, 121 W. Third St., Washington.