While East Moline residents debate whether to start their own ambulance service, the city’s current ambulance provider has decided to open a new ambulance garage on Avenue of the Cities.

Genesis Health System announced Friday that the new garage will house one full-time, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week ambulance at 730 Avenue of the Cities, a short distance from one of the city’s three fire stations.

In the past, the 35-year-old Illini Ambulance Service that responded in East Moline operated out of Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus, Silvis, Ill.

“Genesis is constantly in the process of re-examining services,” Ken Croken, vice president of corporate communications, Genesis Health System, said. “This is part of an ongoing operations management issue.”

East Moline voters will be asked Feb. 2 whether the city should start its own ambulance service to help generate additional revenue. Starting May 1, the city’s firefighters will start a new rotation that requires them to work more hours without additional personnel. The move, which was required by an arbitrator, will cost the city an additional $188,000 next year.

The referendum is advisory only, which means the City Council is not bound by the voters’ decision.

East Moline Mayor John Thodos and some East Moline aldermen questioned the timing of Genesis’ decision and said they were not told about the new garage in advance.

“One would question why it wasn’t done several years ago, but I think we know why,” Thodos said. “People can draw whatever conclusions they want from the timing, but I can’t see how it hurts. At the end of the day, my city has been noticed and is getting better service.”

The hospital’s six-minute-and-29-second average response time was already well below the national average of eight minutes and 59 seconds, Croken said.

An ambulance did a test run out of the new garage Friday, and the response time was two minutes shorter than Illini’s average, Croken said. He noted response times vary based on point of origin and location. He stressed that the hospital was already pleased with its earlier response times.

“We are extraordinarily proud of the response times provided to East Moline and throughout the entire Genesis Illini district,” he said.

The hospital already operates ambulances in several other locations, including Port Byron, Colona, Coal Valley and Illini Hospital in Silvis. Croken said it could still be a few weeks before an ambulance is operating regularly at the new garage.

When city officials announced earlier this year that they planned to start a city-owned ambulance service, Genesis officials asked if the city had a problem with their service and offered to operate an ambulance out of a city-owned garage. Croken said those offers were declined.

He said the hospital decided to lease its own garage because of the number of calls generated in East Moline but acknowledged the city’s debate did play some part in the decision.

“The internal political process in the City of East Moline and the referendum on the 2010 ballot are not a referendum on Genesis,” he said. “We are not directly involved.”

What aldermen say

Aldermen on both sides of the issue said Friday that the hospital’s decision does not affect their previous opinions about what the city should do.

Alderman Luis Puentes, Ward 2, still supports Fire Chief Rob DeFrance’s plan to start a city-owned ambulance service and to purchase an ambulance.

He wondered why the hospital is going to so much effort to provide a better ambulance service when hospital officials have said running ambulances doesn’t generate revenue.

“There seems to be a push that it’s a profit-losing venture, but now they’re doing this,” he said.

Croken said the hospital is committed to providing the city’s ambulance service because that’s part of its mission and that the hospital has other revenue-generating services.

Puentes also questioned the timing of the hospital’s announcement.

“So why now?” he asked. “I’d be hesitant to state this would be them trying to manipulate the vote, but that is curious to me.”

Alderman Dave Kelley, Ward 5, said the move shows the hospital can handle the city’s ambulance service and doesn’t think East Moline should compete with private enterprise.

“I think it reconfirms what I’ve been thinking,” he said. “Private enterprise is offering the service and has been doing it in a very effective way.”

Alderwoman Helen Heiland, Ward 1, said the move doesn’t change her opinion that the city should start its own ambulance service to generate additional revenue. She said the city is not trying to hurt the hospital’s business.

“I think it’s just an opportunity for us to make a little money,” she said. “Unless something comes up that changes my mind, I’m very much for it.”

Alderman Jeff Stulir, Ward 3, said the matter should still be decided by the voters. He has doubts about how much revenue a city-owned ambulance would generate and worries it could end up costing taxpayers more money.

Alderman Gary Westbrook, Ward 7, said he hadn’t given much thought to the timing of Genesis’ decision, but noted as a business, the hospital can do what it wants.

Alderwomen Cheri Bustos, Ward 4, and Roseann Cervantes, Ward 6, could not immediately be reached for comment.