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Toole County officials weigh leasing 911 ambulance service as volunteer staff age
Summary
Toole County officials discussed leasing the county's 911 ambulance service after officials said volunteer crews are aging and recruiting has become difficult. Staff were directed to draft agreements and explore proposals from outside providers, while insisting any lease be tied to continued local service.
At a Toole County meeting, officials discussed leasing the county's 911 ambulance service after one official said volunteer ambulance personnel are getting older and the county is struggling to recruit new crew members. The board directed staff to prepare agreements and outreach to potential providers while emphasizing any lease must be tied to maintained local service.
The Chair said, "the ambulance personnel are getting older, and we're having trouble finding new people that joined the ambulance crew," framing the staffing shortage as the principal reason for seeking outside providers. The Chair introduced Item 1 as a discussion of the county's 911 ambulance service and possible leasing arrangements.
Officials stressed that any property lease or sale should be explicitly tied to service obligations. "I just wanna make sure that ... I just wanna make sure that's very specific," a committee member said, urging clear contractual language to ensure a provider would continue local coverage rather than only securing county assets.
Discussion of procurement approaches included issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to solicit interest from private or regional ambulance providers. County officials named potential responders during the meeting: Big Sky Medical Transport, Great Falls Emergency Services, and AMR were mentioned as services that might consider contracts. Officials said proposals could allow providers to house ambulances at hospitals or other facilities if needed.
Staffing and contract structure were central points. One approach the Chair and others favored would split arrangements into two agreements: a facility lease for the ambulance barn and office space, and a separate service contract governing ambulance operations (including stationing, response coverage and equipment). Officials said this separation would allow the county to require continuity of 911 service while managing property arrangements separately.
Speakers noted the county's current deployment: one ambulance is stationed in Sunburst and two to three in Shelby. County staff identified Merle and Kate as the staff points of contact to develop documents and recommended involving attorney William Gibson on lease drafting if necessary. The meeting concluded with staff instructed to proceed with drafting agreements and pursuing outreach to potential providers.
The meeting approved the previous meeting's minutes by voice vote earlier in the session (tally not specified) and adjourned after the ambulance discussion. Officials said they will return with drafts or proposals at a future meeting for further direction or formal action.
