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Whitesboro councilors discuss new EMS seivice BY I4Y FONVII.I ff HHItALD DEMOCRA'1WHITESBORO Tlie recent collapse oF Lif'e Tech Ambulance service is keeping small Grayson County cities in linibo. City councilors met in a special, called council meeting to discuss what opfions they have and devclop a plan, both long aild short term, for ambulance service in their area. Whitesboro Fire Chief Bury Beste stood at the podium answering questions and giving his professional opinion to ciLy officials ou what he thinks is the best course of action in the maTter. "This is strictly a day-by-day deal," Beste said. "Tliere are a lot of unanswerecl questions and litfle t'ime to auswer them." Mayor W.D. Welch explained to the audience which options the ciCy is looking at. "We arc cithcr goiug Yo have to pay a larger subsiciy to someonc," Welch said. "Or, we'rc goiiig to liave to undertake the project ourselves at some cost. At least for the short nm we're covered, but thaT cotiild change immediately." Welch told councilois they will ueed to be prepared to authorize some expeuditures, "just to make cet-tain that this doesn't fall apart," he said. Paying for service fi-om Life Net ( another ambulance service) costs more Chan double what Life Tech charged. If Van Alstyne decides to stait a scrvice with Howa and Gunter, Welch said, and with no othcr alteruatives being presented, "we're going to have to go into the business." Beste presented some rough mmmbets to the Council explainiug lie would be comfortable in running an ambulance service for Whitesboro with aS100,000 start-up and a$300,000 yearly buciget. He also suid he could get service up and rtmning within 30 days if necessairy. There are still issues to work out with paying paramedics, azui more importantly, where the eity is going lo find the iiecessary funds. Tlte off-[he-cuff estiinate Life Net gave Whitesboro totaled about $800,000. "Of course, none of us have that kind of moncy," Welch said. "What that's saying is the cost is going way up to keep the ctu-rent level of serv'rce we have now."Welch said he plans to talk witli neighboring towns to see if they wanf fo join forces and cover costs. Welch also said a direction of which steps the city is goiug to take will surface in a few days. WhitesUoro has leased an ambulance which will stay in the city for the time being, niamied by staLe certified volunteers.