Board reviews 20‑year license agreements to colocate MedAct ambulances in Shawnee fire stations

Johnson County on Feb. 6 reviewed two proposed license agreements with the City of Shawnee to colocate MedAct ambulances and personnel at Shawnee Fire Station 71 (6501 Corvaira Road) and Station 73 (6805 Hedgeline Terrace). Each agreement would provide usable space for MedAct personnel, vehicles and equipment and runs for 20 years; the county would make one-time payments to Shawnee of $1,333,725 for Station 71 and $1,238,623 for Station 73, with the county reallocating those amounts from general fund reserves to execute the agreements effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Scott Sayer of the Department of Emergency Services said the agreements use the same formula and facility-cost model the county developed with previous station agreements to determine space allocation, operating expense and capital replacement allocations on a square-footage basis and a weighted staffing model. He said recent station capital work added space to allow storage of an additional ambulance and dedicated bedroom space, and that capital contributions underpin the 20‑year term to ensure return on investment. Sayer reported Station 71 serves roughly 65,000 addresses and handles more than 3,400 calls annually.

Commissioners asked whether the funds were budgeted; Sayer and staff confirmed the amounts were contemplated in the county’s 2024 adopted budget, were placed into reserves when the fiscal year closed, and are now being reallocated to execute the agreements. Commissioners also asked about how the facility-cost allocations are calculated; Sayer described a process that uses CAD drawings and a facilities model that incorporates operating and capital replacement expenses based on commercial lease metrics and a weighted allocation by staffing counts. He said any future material changes to the allocation would require returning to the board for reconsideration.

The City of Shawnee City Council approved both agreements on Jan. 27. The county did not take final action in the Feb. 6 session; staff presented the agreements and commissioners indicated they were comfortable with the terms and the prior modeling approach.