Weston County officials discuss forming EMS taxing district to shore up ambulance staffing and equipment

Weston County commissioners and emergency medical officials discussed forming a countywide ambulance taxing district under a 2023 state statute, saying local revenue is needed to sustain round-the-clock paramedic coverage, recruit and retain staff and pay for aging equipment.

The discussion came during a public meeting and follow-up public hearing at the Weston County Senior Center. A Weston County commissioner opened the conversation by noting, “There’s a state statute created in 2023 that allows us as board of commissioners to create a ambulance district.”

Why it matters: County and regional EMS officials said current funding and volunteer staffing levels do not cover the cost of operating a staffed paramedic ambulance around the clock across Weston County’s large rural area, and that limited transport revenues and reimbursement rates leave local providers running deficits.

Shane Kirsch, a Campbell County Health EMS representative who has worked with regional services, told attendees that “it costs about $1.1 million to $1.4 million a year to staff a paramedic-level ambulance 24/7, 365 days a year here.” He said the county receives roughly $135,000–$137,000 annually to operate the local 9-1-1 ambulance, and that billing for transports offsets only a portion of costs because crews transport patients on about…