McDonald residents urge Rawlins County to reinstate two volunteer EMTs after terminations

McDonald community members and several Rawlins County employees pressed the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 17 to reinstate two volunteer emergency medical technicians who were recently terminated, citing gaps in local coverage and concerns about how personnel actions were handled.

"How does the Director plan on keeping her promise to the McDonald community, this county and this commission when McDonald's volunteer staff has just been significantly reduced," asked Hannah Louderbaugh, who presented a written statement to the board that said the two volunteers were served termination letters that did not state a cause. Louderbaugh also raised operational concerns, including equipment readiness and county EMS budget figures for 2025 and 2026 as context for the debate.

Dixie Louderbaugh told the commission that if in‑town volunteers are unavailable, an ambulance response from Atwood could take "approximately 25 minutes," a delay she said is unacceptable for town residents and a major reason to restore the volunteers.

The two terminated volunteers are identified in the meeting record as Hollie Yates (AEMT, eight years' experience) and Rachelle Hubbard (EMT Basic, four years' experience). Several other speakers, including county employees and neighbors, described Yates and Hubbard as primary responders on many recent calls and urged the board to consider reinstatement and protections for volunteers and trainees.

Director Megan Rippe addressed the board and those present, acknowledging concerns about inventory, scheduling and meetings related to McDonald service. Rippe said McDonald volunteers "never had access to the Atwood station, and that can be fixed," and she described disagreements with the former volunteers over equipment and paperwork procedures. On the paperwork issue, Rippe told the commission she had been at the station on the day that patient paperwork was left in a public mailbox; the former volunteer said she had been instructed to leave paperwork there only when staff were absent.

The meeting record also includes claims that an expired medication remained on a rig and that substitutions deviated from protocols; the former volunteer said she notified the director about the impending expiration before it occurred. Those assertions were contested in the discussion and remain unresolved in the meeting record.

Commissioners discussed whether the personnel matters should be handled in executive session or in open session. Earlier in the meeting the board did hold an executive session on non‑elected personnel that concluded with "no action taken," and afterward opted to hear public comment in open session. Following the public comments, the commissioners decided to schedule a special meeting to specifically address the question of reinstating the McDonald volunteers.

The board also approved Resolution No. 2026‑08, an emergency declaration requested by the county emergency manager because of high wind and fire warnings. The emergency declaration was passed by motion and carried during the same meeting that scheduled the pending special EMS session.

The commissioners did not reinstate the volunteers during the Feb. 17 meeting; the record shows a decision to hold a special session where the topic will be revisited. The next regular commission meeting was set for March 2, 2026, and a special EMS meeting will be scheduled for a later date.

What happens next: the commissioners scheduled a special meeting to review the terminated volunteers' status and hear additional information; no formal personnel action or reinstatement was recorded at the Feb. 17 session.