Briefing: proposed Snohomish County EMS interlocal would replace failing oversight agency, officials say

Chief DeMarco provided the Everett Safe Community Committee with a detailed briefing on Jan. 8 about a proposed interlocal agreement that would form a new Snohomish County EMS agency to take over statutorily required medical-program-director functions the state currently charges counties with overseeing.

DeMarco said the state expects a medical program director to oversee training, certification and quality assurance for EMS providers but the state budget offers only about $5,000 a year for that role, an amount DeMarco described as insufficient for densely populated counties. He told committee members that the current Snohomish County oversight agency "essentially failed" after an employee destroyed financial records and that the Washington State Department of Health regards the county's oversight system as among the worst in the state. "Thatis sort of…