State Rep. Sharon Tyler and Sen. John Proos were given an education in emergency response Monday, as the two legislators sat down to hear about budgetary issues facing organizations like the Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service (SMCAS).

Tyler said she and Proos were given a history on the organization as well as issues like Medicare and Medicaid paybacks to emergency response organizations.

“We discussed the communication with other public service entities,” as well as possible joint services “working with other local units and also the county so the response time could be less than what it is currently,” Tyler said.

SMCAS director Tim Gray said the organization is doing the best it can under circumstances of tight budgeting.

SMCAS operates on a $2.5 million budget, $400,000 of which is received through millage. The rest of the organization’s funding is acquired through medicaid, medicare and insurance paybacks.

But after billing an estimated $3 million, Gray said SMCAS will write off half of that – $1.5 million an annual occurrence “due to health insurance, medicare, medicaid and people who can’t pay.”

Emergency responders, unlike other healthcare professionals, Gray said, can’t say no to the calls that come into the Niles department for services.

SMCAS operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to funding personnel, Gray said, “all of our costs are increasing.”

Unfunded mandates can also be a hit to the organization’s budget, he said.

After getting a tour of the Niles facility, Tyler said she also went on a ride-along with SMCAS emergency medical technicians.

“I took a ride and I’ll tell you, they do a great job,” Tyler said.

How budget cuts can affect services like SMCAS is an issue Tyler said she feels is always a concern. Considering new opportunities for services could help.

“Combining services or building partnerships and relationships could help and it could be less than what it is currently,” she said. “The governor is giving ideas for improvements or reforms to the system. (We will) see how this will all work out … A lot of it is going to be other communities willing to work together. We have to be looking out for the people’s health and safety.”

The tour was held through the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services in order to give state legislators insight into the ambulance industry during tough economic times.