San Juan County EMS tells Bluff council local ambulance is now non‑transport first‑responder unit; recruitment, training plans outlined

San Juan County EMS Director Jeremy Hogard told the Bluff Town Council that the ambulance stationed in Bluff has been reclassified from a transporting ambulance to a non‑transport first‑responder unit because current Utah oversight and staffing rules require a 24/7 staffed transporting ambulance to be legal.

Hogard said the change is intended to keep a reliable on‑scene response in Bluff while the county works to recruit more locally certified responders. “In order to be legal, we have had to change the status of the ambulance from a transporting ambulance to non‑transporting ambulance,” he said, adding the shift allows a first‑responder model to operate legally in the short term while the county builds staffing.

The council was told the move is not new but reflects enforcement changes since the state moved EMS oversight into the Utah Department of Public Safety in 2023. “The Department of Human Services was over EMS for all the years prior to two years ago… the Department of Safety… take things more seriously,” Hogard said, explaining why the county could no longer maintain the transporting classification with the current number of certified staff.

Why it matters: Bluff relies on a small pool of local EMS providers and sees seasonal visitor populations. Council members and staff pressed Hogard on how the change affects response and what Bluff residents can do to restore transporting capability.

What the county outlined - Minimum recruits for local training: a San Juan County EMR class requires roughly 10 students to justify running a class in Bluff; an EMT class is far larger in time and cost (EMR ~52 hours; EMT ~160 hours). Hogard said he hopes a hybrid model (some local classes plus centralized skill sessions) could be run to reduce travel for students. - Cost: the county expects to charge only its direct cost for EMR training — about $300 per student for class materials and instruction (does not include testing fees). - Staffing targets: Hogard said roughly a dozen (about 12) locally available certified personnel would be needed to staff a transporting ambulance around the clock; smaller numbers (e.g., EMRs) could staff a first‑response unit so local crews could reach scenes and stabilize patients while a transporting unit from another town does the transfer. - Compensation and incentives: on‑call pay for local EMRs is modest; Hogard said the on‑call rate currently ranges roughly $2.50–$3.33 per hour (about $20–$40 per day depending on certification) and an EMT 12‑hour shift can pay about $40. He said scholarships and other supports have been used to help trainees.

Council members asked about operational details such as which neighboring agencies cover the southern area; Hogard said Montezuma Creek/UNHS have been covering areas south of the river and the county is rewriting mutual‑aid/coverage agreements to reflect practical response distances.

Staffing exceptions and catastrophic incidents Hogard told the council the county would use emergency exceptions for large catastrophes or mass‑casualty incidents where standard staffing rules may be temporarily set aside to move patients. However, he said those exceptions apply only in extreme incidents, not for routine convenience.

How residents can help Hogard and town officials asked Bluff residents to indicate interest in training to help justify local classes. The council and staff said the town can consider using small local funds to subsidize training for residents and that the county offers ride‑alongs and limited shadowing for adults.

Ending: The council did not vote on EMS policy at the meeting. Jeremy Hogard encouraged residents interested in training to contact the town or county and gave a tentative local class start date of July 8 for an initial offering the county is planning.