Published Thursday, June 10, 1999 "Aggravation was the reason," said Michael Oates, whose family owns Medic One.
Oates said Medic One asked the municipalities it served in the Lakeview area, including Stoneboro, Sandy Lake and Sandy Lake Township, to ask Mercer County 911 to limit the emergency call-out rotation to one ambulance service. The municipalities did not do that, he said, so Medic One silenced its sirens in that area.
Oates said the ambulance service never really made money on emergency calls; it was supported primarily by transporting patients for treatment and by the family's funeral home in Stoneboro.
"It's really not a monetary decision but aggravation because of the townships' lack of fortitude to make a decision they know they should've made," he said.
Sandy Lake Councilman Glenn Leech said this morning that council sent Medic One a certified letter more than a week ago asking about the company's intentions but never got a reply from Oates.
"The family extends a sincere apology" to the community," Oates said. "I feel very bad and we've received dozens of phone calls, but we don't have a choice," Oates said. "We've been here for 20 years and don't get any support from the municipalities."
Oates has filed for a temporary injunction against Life Force Ambulance Service, which recently opened a station on Walnut Street in Sandy Lake, saying the service "was designed with all of Lakeview's knowledge and experience."
Oates is asking Mercer County Court of Common Pleas to stop Life Force ambulance and its owners, Keith Shilling, David Shilling and Robert Pendleton, from operating for 10 years.
The suit charges that as former treasurer of Lakeview ambulance, Keith Shilling signed checks and a lease agreement without Oates' authorization. It also claims Shilling took Lakeview's medical protocol manual when he resigned and started Life Force.
Shilling would not comment on the lawsuit.
Oates said he is also filing a suit in federal court for copyright infringement.
Oates said he doesn't consider closing the Stoneboro station sour grapes "because his knowledge was stolen."
"In my opinion, there will be no Life Force and that's when I will be very concerned" because there will be no ambulance service in the Lakeview area, he said.
Oates said he has no intention of asking anytime soon for Medic One to be placed back on the dispatch rotation in that area. Even after the lawsuit is settled, he said, he will only reopen the Stoneboro station with conditions, including promises by the municipalities of a making Medic One the exclusive service in the area or monthly fees from them.
"Every few years someone else decides to start an ambulance in the Lakeview area," Oates said. "And we have to come in and clean up their mess."
Oates said he asked the towns to limit their services because of the low number of calls in the rural area. Competition was not breeding better service, but rather hurting service because there were not enough calls to support two services, he said.
Despite that philosophy, Oates said Medic One's opening of stations in Sharon and Meadville did not stress ambulance competition in those areas.
In fact, Sharpsville council voted Wednesday to add Medic One to the 911 rotation for the borough. Councilman Thomas Lally said Sharpsville was the only Shenango Valley community that had not yet added the company to the emergency call-out list.
A majority of Medic One's business from the Stoneboro station included transporting patients to and around the Shenango Valley, Oates said. The county's population base is in the Shenango Valley, meaning more emergency calls also occur there, he said, adding that putting a station in the valley allowed the service to be more efficient.
Oates said closing the Stoneboro station did not violate any procedures set by the state's Department of Health because the municipalities had ample notice of his plans. Only one municipality responded to a letter he sent in March, Oates said.
Richard Gibbons, executive director of EMMCO West, said Tuesday he was aware of Oates' intention but never received anything in writing. EMMCO monitors ambulance service in western Pennsylvania for the state. Oates was required to notify the state, municipalities and Mercer County 911 as well as placing newspaper advertisements 90 days before altering his service, Gibbons said.
Oates said it was impossible to do all of those things instantaneously and he was under the impression the state was waiving the 90-day waiting period because the area is served by Life Force Ambulance Service.
Oates said membership-renewal notices were not sent to Medic One customers and the "one or two people" who have memberships will get refunds.
