Mike Summers CEO
I hardly ever have time to get on these sights but a EMT told me I should read it. So I thought I would respond to a bunch of incorrect information about AmeriCare. I personally had shoulder reconstruction surgery and have not been out taking pictures of anything lately. However I did ask the field supervisors and managers to take pictures of all our buildings for the website. Our website is out of date and needs updating. Also some lenders/insurance companies require updated pictures before they will bind coverage. We have always been fixing up the stations. The SMFD station is only about 2 years old and we have been upgrading it since we got it. The paramount station had a broken vent pipe in the wall so that was a must repair. While it is being repaired we cant really have crews out of there without a toilet that can flush without sewage coming out all over. SO it was best to move them in the meantime. We care and model the company for our EMT, Medics, and other staff. I have been an EMT for 25 years and I care about each and every staff member. There has never been a time in our history (17 years) that we have not been fixing up stations or making repairs. We have a ton of them. We do not ever deny care for legit injuries. We question injuries if an employee fails a drug test or are engaging in horseplay. Legally and morally we are and accept responsibility for all ligament injuries that are work related; they happen, its part of the job. It is a dangerous job. Being we have only had a couple patient injuries due to mishaps in 17 years and they were all totally EMT error (which is completely acceptable and part of the job too) that were both very minor I am not sure how you can question our ambulances or equipment. We simply would not take the risk of putting an ambulance out there that was not in good repair, had working gurney latches, or a great gurney. We were the first private company in LA to go to the power pro and it is the best most expensive gurney out there. We are working our way through to San Diego to ensure we have those in all locations. All our gurney's are top notch. The mounts do need routine maintenance and all (throughout my 25 years) need to be muscled some times then adjusted properly. A unit should NEVER move without a gurney properly latched in. A right blinker would be fixed in the field and ASAP. Positioning to sell . . . that is a odd accusation. I am certain the posting party had never owned a company let alone an ambulance company. If we were looking to sell we would NOT be spending a bunch of money on stations or equipment. That is NOT how you sell a company. Companies are bought and sold based on numbers . . . not station improvements or even ambulances. Any large company is going to cycle the ambulances and probably do short leases so they can position the new company the way they want. So a company would try to increase the look of profitability by trying to skip the station repairs and upgrades. We do that for the EMTs. Our stations are by far the best in LA, OC and SD of all the companies. That is because I was and am an EMT and know what it is like. We try, whenever possible wherever possible, to get stations with space to have room for private sleeping, showers, entertainment (TV, video games, etc.), provide internet, and exercise equipment and space. We go above and beyond because we care about our staff . . . to do that yes we need to run calls. You slam us for improving stations and slam us for not improving ambulances . . . that is odd. We try to improve and that is a negative thing. We have many full time mechanics to take care of our units and we have just shy of 100 to keep going. They do a great job and are top notch and so is their equipment. I will get to pay next. You seem to think you know a lot of about the billing practices and field. We did not EVER go to SMFD to run at a profit. We went thee to provide a service and let EMTs have 911 exposure with the understanding we also needed them to run non-emergency calls to pay the bills and to be able to pay them. We were fully aware of the collection rates and expected collections coming into that contract. We serve the city! I am shocked at the "rumor" you share about their medical care. I have many years to reflect on medical care. SMFD is absolutely top notch. Those medics are the best of the best. I mean above outstanding. They take patient care seriously and they are good at it. They take the time to comfort a patient, care enough to take a moment to ensure they are comfortable and maybe get an order of pain meds prior to moving them, and really deserve top ratings. Like I said I speak form experience and I have never seen such caring Paramedics that is a department consistency. I have worked with NBFD in the past and for the time and place I was there NBFD was equal to SMFD. In LA and OC you can not get much better paramedic care. If a medic was covering in SMFD we may have cautioned him that if he is called as a BLS unit that his role is that of an EMT and he can watch and learn but not question them too much. That is because sometimes newer medics or medics that are use to a different way either ask too many questions or question the way certain departments do things. The SMFD guys are great with educating us and helping us but there is a time and a place and during pt. care they are focused on the patient normally and education fits where it can. After calls and during trainings they are great and help out AmeriCare by going the extra mile . . . I will get to pay in my next post. If you have any questions you can always call me (310)835-9390 ex. 135 as I really would like people to have the straight story. Selling NO!! There is an old saying anything is for sale for a price but I am absolutely not looking that way not have I don't ANY of the things that would actually position the company for sale (fixing stations and the things you mentioned are so far off it is clear you lack knowledge in that area; I am not tying to be mean but you have no idea -- I worked for 3 companies when they sold to AMR and what you are seeing is not it. You would see short term leases, supply back piles going down, no repairs, units selling off, basically anything to show a higher profit level on the general ledger) Strategically you would not see increased spending on public exposure, increased supervision, improved equipment, and many of the things you see at AmeriCare. We are positioning for the long hall and the bids coming up. Most of LA, Orange, AND San Diego are coming up to bid all within about a year. This is unprecedented and we will be attempting to be successful on any and all fire bids that made sense for us to pursue and out of the ones coming up they all make sense for us to fully pursue. Now is not a time to sell it is a time to look at opportunities. Opportunities that we earned through service and building out 911 response over the past 17 years. We are the largest privately owned company the LA,OC, and SD area and we earned some respect for that. We did it with hard working EMTs, Paramedics, supervisors, managers, dispatchers, billing staff, and have formed a great team. Due ot the length of the post I will refer to the next post for pay.