Kossuth County EMS reports rising call volume, seeks purchases and contracts to expand safety equipment and maintenance

Kossuth County Emergency Medical Services told the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 27 that call volume rose to 1,426 runs in 2024, up from 1,350 in 2023, and said staffing shortages remain while grant-funded equipment purchases and an annual equipment maintenance contract require board approval.

The EMS update, delivered by Phil (identified in the meeting as the county EMS representative), stressed operational growth and financing. Phil said the service ran roughly 100 more calls per year over recent years and that transfers have decreased somewhat because of downstream bed shortages. He said two full-time positions remain open and that interviews for a paramedic were scheduled.

The nut graf: The EMS presentation combined operational metrics with funding requests the department said are needed to keep service levels and safety standards. Phil asked whether the board wanted to place two items on an upcoming agenda: (1) a countywide purchase of child restraint systems for ambulances funded partly by a safety grant and partly by the county EMS association (total approximately $88,000 for 14 units); and (2) an annual preventative-maintenance contract for medical electronics (about $6,500), which Phil said is a standing contract used to keep ambulance medical equipment compliant.

Phil said a safety grant he wrote will cover part of the child restraint purchase and that the county EMS association planned to cover the balance; he asked if the board wanted the purchase placed on the agenda because each line exceeded the county's $5,000 purchasing threshold. On the preventative maintenance contract he said he has quotes and would also ask the board to approve the purchase on the agenda. Phil told the board the grant would provide equipment not only to county EMS ambulances but to all 14 ambulances operating in the county.

Phil also summarized training and service-area cooperation: CPR classes were held at the middle school and are being organized for the courthouse in March; the EMS advisory council and a nine-county service-area consortium continue monthly coordination; annual skills evaluations have begun with local services; and ambulance fund balances from two entities are expected to be consolidated into county accounts by fiscal year-end.

Board reaction and next steps: Supervisors asked clarification questions about the grant funding split and whether the purchases must be placed on the agenda. Phil said both items exceed $5,000 and should be put before the board for formal approval; the board did not vote on either purchase that day. The EMS representative said he had received half of the grant money to date and that the county EMS association would cover its share. He also told supervisors the preventative maintenance contract runs annually and requested the item be scheduled for a March agenda so contracts can be awarded.

Ending: The board took no final action on the purchases at the Feb. 27 meeting; Phil said he would return with formal agenda items for the purchases and the preventative maintenance contract so the supervisors can vote. The EMS office will also continue to report monthly on staffing and call volumes.