Grant County board weighs levy-funded contingency to preserve paramedic pilot
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Summary
Grant County commissioners heard an EMS committee briefing on options to preserve higher-level paramedic care after state pilot funding sunsets, including continuing an annual $165,000 levy with a concept to split $100,000 for rotating ambulance capital and $65,000 for contracted services.
Grant County — County commissioners spent the first portion of their meeting Thursday on a report from the EMS committee about keeping the Sprint Paramedic pilot running after legislative funding ends.
Committee member (speaker 4) told the board the committee sought legal guidance and was advised it is permissible to use county levy funds to support EMS beyond capital purchases. He said the county currently has $165,000 set aside in levy revenue and that Hoffman Ambulance has been told the funding is available and is purchasing a new ambulance.
Why it matters: The Sprint Paramedic program places advanced-care paramedics into local rotation to make BLS crews into ALS-capable crews when needed. Committee members said the program has reduced response and transfer times in many cases and has allowed paramedics to provide interventions that basic crews cannot.
How the program works: Paramedic Maya (speaker 5) explained that Basic Life Support crews (BLS) can staff an ambulance with two EMRs or EMTs and are limited in what they may do—generally not starting IVs or administering certain medications—while Advanced Life Support crews (ALS) include a paramedic who can perform more advanced diagnostics and treatments. Maya described how the Sprint Paramedic model lets a roaming paramedic join local crews on the roster so that the team can legally operate as ALS when that paramedic is present.
A clinical example: Maya said a recent cardiac call illustrated the difference. The Sprint Paramedic read an altered 12‑lead EKG and advised against giving nitroglycerin because the arrest was on the right, inferior part of the heart; Maya said that decision likely prevented catastrophic hypotension and likely saved the patient’s life.
Operational and legal constraints: Board members pressed staff on who determines whether to dispatch a BLS or ALS response. EMS staff said dispatch decisions are driven by available resources and by licensing rules for full‑time ALS services, which currently require sending a paramedic first on certain calls. Staff and board members noted cross‑roster staffing is complicated by differing employer training and credential requirements; joining another agency’s roster typically requires meeting that agency’s education, policy and reporting standards.
Contingency concepts and next steps: The committee presented conceptual uses for the existing $165,000 levy: a proposed annual split of about $100,000 toward rotating capital purchases (ambulances on a 10–15 year cycle) and $65,000 toward contracted services to sustain paramedic coverage. Committee members emphasized these ideas are conceptual, not final policy, and recommended the board continue working with regional partners, track paramedic involvement data, and consider first‑right‑of‑refusal language so county‑funded equipment remains available to other local providers if a vendor dissolves.
Board action: No formal vote on the levy allocation or program design was taken Thursday. Staff said the EMS committee will return with further analysis and that commissioners should network with neighboring counties about sustaining ALS coverage regionally.
What’s next: Committee members said they will continue collecting data on call types and paramedic interventions, work on formal agreements to protect county investments in equipment, and explore options to reduce redundant training barriers for mutual‑aid staffing.
