Leaked documents that were posted and later removed from social media paint a portrait of financial stress for the private ambulance service that serves the City of Newburgh and surrounding communities.

Mobile Life Support Services, Inc., (MLSS) headquartered in New Windsor, is a privately-owned, commercial ambulance service founded by Rick and Gayle Metzger in 1981. According to its website, the company has grown from “a couple of used ambulances and two additional staff members,” to a “a staff of approximately 500 EMS professionals, a fleet of 73 ambulances and emergency response vehicles, and 24 stations across the Hudson Valley Region, including Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester counties.” Although Rick has since passed away, Gayle remains owner and Chairman of the Board.

Documents obtained by the Mid Hudson Times state that the company’s break-even point is approximately 4,300 billable calls per month. Those same documents state that MLSS reported a billable volume of 4,001 calls in January of 2020, 3,401 in February and 4,104 in March.

“I am aware of some erroneous Facebook posts that are attributed to a fictitious individual,” said Timothy Scannell, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. “I can’t comment specifically to what someone may have posted or released.”

Schannell did acknowledge that some staff members took voluntary pay cuts.

“Our middle and senior management all stepped up and voluntarily during very, very trying times at the company, they voluntarily took pay cuts in order to assure that services were continued, that staff were continuingly provided benefits and we were continuing to invest in our fixed assets and equipment and training and education,” Scannell said. “I will applaud our middle and senior managers, all of whom took voluntary pay cuts.”

Scannell also said that business had dropped off during the pandemic.

In 2020, MLSS received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan of $3.45 million through Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company. Loan documents indicate that 445 jobs were saved under the terms of the program.

Scannell also confirmed the authenticity of an unsigned statement released in early April on the MLSS letterhead.

“There are no secrets in the upper management of any Commercial Ambulance provider in the country at this point, we are all weathering the storm by reallocating our resources, minimizing unnecessary expenses and pushing out initiatives that either create new revenue streams, or increase the revenues from existing contracts. Just like every other healthcare organization in the United States. We are working our plan and it has steadily reduced the strain on us financially, ” statement read.