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Sheriffs, commissioners agree to formalize cooperative response; ambulance strain at Grand Targhee highlighted
Summary
Teton County sheriff and commissioners at a Sept. 9 joint meeting with Idaho counterparts discussed operational strain from resort-related calls—particularly summer ambulance demand—and agreed to work toward a written cooperative agreement on cross‑border law enforcement and emergency response.
Teton County Sheriff Carr told the joint Sept. 9 meeting that law-enforcement and emergency-response officials from the Wyoming and Idaho counties already coordinate but that officials are working to codify a cooperative agreement that was rescinded years ago.
Sheriff Carr said routine practice now is to respond to calls in Alta and other resort-area locations and to “hold the scene” until the jurisdictional agency arrives, but he told commissioners he wants the response arrangements put back into a written, formal agreement. “Working together, I wish we had a better working relationship. We have been working for quite some time, to get a cooperative agreement together that was done away with years ago,” he said.
Commissioners from both counties raised ambulance availability as a pressing operational issue. County staff explained that many ambulance responses to Grand Targhee are for summer mountain-bike injuries; when an ambulance is committed to the resort it can be out of service for extended periods, leaving gaps for local residents. Participants said this dynamic increases pressure on sheriff patrols and can trigger long transports or responses to other counties for incarceration or hospital services.
Commissioners asked staff to prioritize reestablishing formal written agreements on cross‑county response, including clarifying dispatch protocols and mutual-aid responsibilities. Sheriff Carr and county administrators agreed to bring a draft cooperative agreement forward for review as a first step; both counties’ staff also said they would explore logistics for switching rescue units and other operational details discussed during the meeting.
Ending: Sheriff Carr said he will work with county administrators to finalize a written cooperative agreement and return it to the commissions for formal adoption; commissioners emphasized this as a near-term priority to reduce operational uncertainty for emergency responders.
