County leaders and fire chiefs discuss proposed unified fire authority and EMS staffing plan; EMS reports staffing shortfalls and revenue strategies

County leaders, fire chiefs and EMS staff used a work session Aug. 26 to review a proposed governance and staffing model for a multi‑agency fire authority and to hear a detailed EMS update that emphasized staffing shortages, volunteer decline and short‑term revenue strategies.

Public safety staff described an operational model that would employ a fire chief, operations role and officers to provide a consistent daily staffing pattern across participating districts, with an initial daily staffing target of 18 full‑time personnel to maintain a 48/96 rotation and three‑person response capability at staffed stations. The preliminary salary model used state averages and showed an annual personnel cost that county staff estimated in the multimillion‑dollar range before anticipated offsets.

Staff stressed that the budget figures are preliminary planning estimates. Commissioners and staff recommended producing a concise service plan and comparative analysis showing current combined cost to taxpayers and the proposed consolidated cost to better communicate benefits and trade‑offs to the public and to local fire districts. County attorneys and staff said an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) and an interim governance board are the likely next steps; a working group meeting was scheduled to further refine the model.

EMS leadership reported acute operational pressure: a 43.7% decline in volunteer personnel year‑to‑date, 71 instances of “surge capacity” since June (periods with too few staff to place an ambulance in service), and continued difficulty converting qualified paramedic applicants into full‑time hires because of pay and cost‑of‑living considerations. County EMS reported nine full‑time paramedics, one vacancy, and a cadre of PRN staff whose availability helped reduce overtime costs but left gaps on some shifts. To address the department’s approximately $300,000 annual deficit, staff outlined two near‑term revenue strategies: (1) pursuing a federally funded EMS equipment grant (90/10) to replace monitors and add two mechanical CPR devices, and (2) deploying ambulances and crews on federally reimbursable wildfire deployments (14‑day assignments) to generate net revenue after operating costs.

Commissioners urged staff to produce a short service plan (3–5 pages) that describes the proposed authority’s mission, response goals (including targeted response times), comparative current costs across local districts and a timeline for formation and public notice. Commissioners also recommended outreach to frontline volunteers and members of local districts so leadership concerns can be addressed before formal votes about structure or funding.