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Kirkwood homeowner urges Alpine County to study emergency medical services before a fire assessment
Summary
A long‑time Kirkwood homeowner told an Alpine County panel the proposed fire assessment appears to overlook emergency medical services and urged a community needs study; county staff said the county is updating its safety element and has related hazard and evacuation plans but did not commit to a Kirkwood‑specific EMS study.
Michelle Serza, a 20‑year Kirkwood homeowner, used the meeting’s public‑comment period to press the Bridal panel to study emergency medical services, wildfire response and evacuation planning for Kirkwood before adopting a proposed fire assessment. "The proposed fire assessment doesn't really take into consideration emergency medical services," she said, adding that an assessment should be informed by up‑to‑date studies of community needs.
Serza noted the community’s remoteness and the potential for emergencies during the resort’s off‑season, saying residents need clarity about how an ambulance response would operate when resort services are limited. She argued special assessments are intended for parcel‑specific special benefits and questioned applying an assessment to services she characterized as a general benefit that would also serve resort guests.
Sam Booth responded that Alpine County is updating its general plan safety element and evacuation plan, and that drafts and related documents are posted online and expected to be brought to the Board of Supervisors for review in early April. Booth also asked Rick Ansell to summarize prior engineer and legal reviews; Ansell said staff did not have additional information beyond what had been discussed earlier and in the engineer’s report.
Panelists noted Cal Tahoe JPA and Lake Valley Fire appear to be part of the current dispatching arrangement for Kirkwood and observed that Lake Valley’s response can require long travel times from South Lake Tahoe. One panelist said: "that's 45 minutes away, and they have problems with reimbursement," underscoring logistical and funding limitations for remote emergency response. The panel suggested the topic could be agendized for future discussion to allow fuller review and possible staff follow‑up.
The panel did not take formal action on Serza’s request at the meeting; staff directed residents to posted draft plans and encouraged participation at a forthcoming Board of Supervisors meeting.
