On Thursday, the South Salt Lake City Council voted to pursue adding an ambulance service to the city's Fire Department - but there will be a final vote on the project in the coming weeks.

Still, it appears most council members are on board with the roughly $1.1 million of start-up costs. The ambulance service is expected to generate enough revenue through transport fees to pay for itself - and even earn money - within four to seven years.

But councilwoman Marilyn Brusch dissented in the vote to forge ahead.

"I would really love to see our city have [its] own ambulance service," she said, "but I'm a little concerned about the financing."

Finance director Kyle Kershaw reported the city expects a $550,000 shortfall in sales tax revenue this year.

Fire Chief Steven Foote said some of the startup costs could be offset by a grant the department likely will receive in the next month or so.

If South Salt Lake makes the switch, it would mean dropping Salt Lake City-based Gold Cross as its primary 911 service provider. Gold Cross would continue to provide backup service if South Salt Lake's proposed three ambulances are tied up.

Gold Cross President Mike Moffitt told the council his company would support South Salt Lake if it launches its own ambulance service - even though the decision would mean Gold Cross no longer would provide primary 911 service to a Salt Lake Valley municipality. The company's niche, increasingly, has become transporting patients between hospitals.

"At some point we knew, as the valley grew, there would be room for other [ambulance] providers, like city fire departments," Moffitt said. "The time has come . . . We're friends of South Salt Lake. We're willing to help."

Foote has touted the plan as a way to lower response times and boost "continuity of care" when city paramedic-firefighters no longer have to hand off patients to Gold Cross or ride along in the company's ambulances. It would also save wear and tear on fire engines, which often make trips to the hospital just to retrieve firefighters from ambulance rides.

Councilman John Weaver urged that the 2-year-old proposal be set in motion quickly: "We want it done last year."

rwinters@sltrib.com