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Commissioners approve plan to close Inkom ambulance, shift staff to McCammon station
Summary
Bannock County commissioners voted to abandon the ambulance in Inkom and shift staffing to a newly staffed McCammon station, using federal GMT reimbursement revenue to fund four new hires and a regional volunteer coordinator; an updated MOU and legal review were requested before implementation.
Bannock County commissioners voted to abandon the volunteer ambulance stationed in Inkom and to staff a full-time ambulance at McCammon, using reimbursement revenue from the federal GMT program to cover salaries and operations.
Autumn Baker, a Pocatello Fire Department official with the Bannock County Ambulance District, said the county received “$784,000 … from GMT,” and clarified that the money “is not technically like a grant” but a reimbursement the district submits annually. Baker and Shane Grow, the interim fire chief for Pocatello and the Bannock County Ambulance District, asked the board to use that revenue to fund four new hires, create a regional volunteer coordinator for South County, and reduce long out-of-service times in the area.
Commissioners pressed staff on volunteer outreach and budget timing. Grow said volunteer coordinators met the previous Tuesday and described volunteers’ response as “understanding” though “there’s some uncertainty.” County staff said the new hires are included in the fiscal-year-26 budget and that, because positions would begin in late July, the county expects to absorb a partial-year salary impact without opening a midyear budget hearing unless revenues fall short.
A motion to abandon the Inkom ambulance, open and staff the McCammon ambulance bay under the City of Pocatello contract, and reallocate existing budgeted line items to pay salaries passed on a voice vote. The board asked staff to prepare an updated memorandum of understanding and to send the same implementation message to all volunteers; county legal staff will review the MOU before vendors execute the changes.
Mayor Dolphus of Pocatello, who was present for the discussion, said he had not heard negative reaction from the city and encouraged the county to coordinate any public information once the board’s decision is final. County staff said McCammon medics are projected to come out of academy on July 24–25, with volunteers and the new hires rotating to cover platoons under the proposed plan.
Next steps: staff will provide a revised MOU for legal review, finalize a communications plan for volunteers, and begin onboarding per the academy schedule and budget monitoring practices outlined in the meeting.
