Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
EMS leaders warn rising call volume and uncertainty over MIH costs; dispatch funding strained by radio and CAD expenses
Summary
EMS officials told commissioners call volumes and supply costs are rising and said the community paramedicine (MIH) grant runs through September; new Medicaid/insurer reimbursements for non-transport treatment may offset costs. Dispatch staff said state 911 funds (~$140,000) do not cover major recurring costs including Tyler Tech CAD and radio/tower maintenance.
Dickinson County EMS leadership briefed commissioners on staffing, consumable and vehicle costs as call volumes climb and noted continuing uncertainty around community paramedicine (MIH) funding beyond a grant that expires next September. "At this point, we get paid zero for that call," the EMS presenter said of non-transport treatments under older reimbursement policy, but added that Kansas Medicaid and some insurers are beginning to pay for treatment without transport and that Medicaid reimbursement for some non-transport calls is expected to start in July at about $250 per visit.
The EMS director said the MIH program currently serves about 13 patients on a regular basis and that final program costs for 2027 will depend on whether grants are extended and how reimbursement rolls out. Commissioners and staff discussed response-time pressures driven by long transfers out of county and the logistics of station coverage; officials said they are monitoring whether increased call volumes will require additional personnel and a third truck crew (which would mean roughly six more staff per truck).
Dispatch and emergency communications staff outlined two budgets: one funded by county general-fund allocations (personnel and operating costs) and one funded by state 911 fees (about $140,000 annually for Dickinson County). The 911 director said state allocations pay specific items but do not cover all recurring operating costs; large items referenced were a state-paid position (approx. $54,000) and the CAD contract through Tyler Technologies (listed at $22,978). The department is also absorbing new costs related to an 800 MHz radio system and tower leases; staff said they will refine 2027 projections after year-end personnel and usage data are finalized.
Officials said vacancies have driven apparent savings in 2026 numbers, but that permanent staffing — and the unknown mix of incoming employees’ health-plan choices — complicates year-to-year forecasts. The 911 director said the department remains short-staffed (five full-time, four part-time positions at the time of the meeting) and that hiring will affect the final budget authority transferred into 2027 planning.
Commissioners did not take immediate formal action on EMS staffing beyond questions and requests for further analysis; department leaders said they will return with clearer projections once grant and reimbursement details are firmed.
