Campbell County EMS manager pushes Weston County to form EMS taxing district; commissioners ask staff to draft resolution

Shane Kirsch, EMS manager for Campbell County Health, asked the Weston County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 18 to move forward with forming an EMS taxing district, saying staff in Gillette and Newcastle were ready to support the process and that forming a district could help stabilize funding for emergency medical services.

Kirsch told commissioners the board previously voted to form a district and referred work to the county general attorney to define boundaries, but the county had not completed follow-up steps. He said the county boundary itself could be used for initial district lines and outlined the typical process: adopt a resolution, advertise for public comment, hold a hearing and publicize appointments for a district board that would later oversee boundaries and levies.

The update came after the board discussed practical coverage needs and workforce shortages. Kirsch described Western County coverage as “one 24-hour, 365-day crew here in Newcastle” with backfill coming from Wright or Gillette. He said the service’s coverage area is roughly 9,700 square miles and that volume does not support additional full-time crews in smaller towns. “The distance is what gets us,” Kirsch said.

Kirsch outlined recruitment and training steps he and partner agencies are taking: scholarships for EMT initial education tied to a rural EMS SAMHSA grant, local EMT classes, a staff recruiter, business development outreach to the Chamber of Commerce and school career events, and an upcoming EMS University seminar in May. He said scholarship offers and towns paying upfront for classes had boosted volunteer and staffing numbers in neighboring communities.

Commissioners and staff discussed mechanics. County staff advised the board that a district may be formed by resolution and that adopting a resolution would begin the formal process (advertising for 30 days and holding required public hearings), then lead to appointment advertising and a district board formation. Commissioners asked county counsel/staff to draft a resolution and to coordinate with Kara (county clerk/staff) so the item can return to the board for formal action.

The commission directed staff to prepare a draft resolution to form an EMS taxing district and to begin work on the advertising and appointment steps; the board did not yet adopt a final district resolution or levy at the Feb. 18 meeting. Commissioners and Kirsch discussed options for integrating volunteer-run community ambulance services into a taxing district model but agreed those operational allocation decisions would be made by the future district board.

The presentation also included a signed copy of a provider services agreement that Kirsch left with county staff.

Why it matters: Commissioners face persistent EMS staffing pressures and long response distances; a properly formed taxing district would allow the county’s voters to decide whether to create a dedicated levy to support EMS operations, and it would change how local EMS budgets are planned and sustained.

What’s next: County staff said they will prepare a draft resolution and advertise for board appointees; the commissioners asked for an update at the next meeting before taking a final vote on forming the district.