Brigham City notifies Corinne it will end ambulance transport; Corinne officials plan to pursue county support and local options

Brigham City Corporation notified Corinne city officials that it intends to end provision of ground ambulance transportation and certain fire services to Corinne effective Sept. 1, 2025, prompting city leaders to discuss options including seeking county support and preparing to staff local ambulance service.

Mayor Tom Little read a letter from Brigham City saying it will “terminate the provisions of fire and emergency medical services coverage to Corinne City effective as outlined below” and that “Emergency medical services, ground ambulance transportation, Brigham City's fire and ambulance will cease providing services within your municipal area” after required boundary adjustments from the Utah Bureau of EMS Services. The letter also said fire services would continue by mutual aid request but that “automatic aid will not be provided.”

The notice set a Sept. 1, 2025 effective date. Little said the city has already raised the issue with the state Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and that the state attorney general has ruled Brigham City cannot change agreements or service boundaries until its license expires, which Little said is believed to be 2027.

Why it matters: Corinne currently relies on Brigham City for ambulance transport following an emergency-response pattern in which first responders from Corinne's fire department arrive and Brigham City provides ambulance transport. City leaders said losing that ambulance transport will require Corinne to either staff its own transport or secure county support.

Council discussion and next steps City leaders described a range of next steps. Little said he had already scheduled a county commission meeting item for the next day to ask the county to help fund or staff emergency response for unincorporated residents and to discuss fair-cost arrangements with the county. He said the city’s fire chief and assistant chief will bring statistics, staffing needs and cost estimates to those meetings.

Assistant Chief Vaughn Swanson was named as attending the planned county meeting along with the fire chief and the mayor. Little said Corinne could potentially “piggyback” on the county’s certification for ambulance services if the county assists with staffing and that the county already holds certifications Corinne could use. He also said ambulance staffing requires certified personnel and typically two people per ambulance.

Financial context and Brigham’s rationale Little said Brigham City reported a $5.3 million fire department budget and a $2.4 million shortfall, and that Brigham sought differing annual contributions from nearby jurisdictions (he said Brigham asked Corinne for roughly $100,000 a year). Little said those requested amounts were not consistent across neighboring towns — he said Perry was asked for less than $100,000, Willard was asked for $300,000 and Mantua (Manawa/Manaway in the transcript) for $60,000 — and he described that division as producing disagreement over a fair allocation.

Local operational impact Council members and staff cited call counts in recent months: Corinne’s fire department reported 14 calls for the month, 11 outside city limits and three inside the city limits. Little said Corinne often performs first-response fire duties while Brigham provides ambulance transport on fewer occasions.

No formal council motion to change service boundaries or to adopt a local ambulance plan was made at the meeting. Little said he would place the matter on the public record, invite Brigham City to a public work meeting to negotiate, and pursue county discussions. He said the city will prepare facts and staffing proposals to present to county officials.

Authorities and related agencies referenced The letter cited the Utah Bureau of EMS Services and Little said the state attorney general had been involved in reviewing the parties’ rights to change service areas and certificates. The state fire marshal office was also mentioned earlier in the meeting in connection with the fire department’s training reports.

Ending Council members agreed the loss of Brigham City’s ambulance transport is a significant local public-safety issue and that Corinne must plan for alternatives in the coming months. Little said the city will pursue county participation and prepare staffing and certification details for follow-up meetings.