Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ada County EMS reports hiring surge, active‑shooter training plans and approves paramedic student agreement
Summary
The Ada County Emergency Medical Services District approved an attendance agreement with Idaho State University for a paramedic student and heard an update on hiring and planned training.
The Ada County Board standing as the Board of County Emergency Medical Services District approved Agreement 30315, an attendance agreement between the Ada County EMS District and Nicholas Mays for the Idaho State University paramedic program. The motion to approve the agreement was made, seconded and carried by voice vote.
John Blake, a paramedic who addressed the board, said the EMS hiring process has intensified because of an unexpected set of staffing vacancies. "This was an unanticipated hiring. We just ended up with, I believe 8 or 9, vacancies that we really do need to fill," Blake said. He reported county hiring posts received about 2,200 views and produced 75 applications, which he said gives the department a strong candidate pool.
Blake also described planned training: the EMS district is preparing joint active‑shooter/hostile event response training with valley partners and will assemble video training materials later this week. Commissioners and EMS staff discussed federal funding uncertainty and audit/fraud safeguards. EMS staff said they are frequently audited by payers and CMS and that record keeping and compliance have been strong in recent audits.
The board approved the claims journal for the EMS district and the minutes for Jan. 7, 2025, in the same session. No further motions were recorded for EMS operations at the time of adjournment.
