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Board temporarily assigns ambulance service area to Western Lane Fire & EMS to avoid service gap
Summary
Faced with an ambulance provider’s notice to end services July 1, Lane County temporarily authorized Western Lane Fire & EMS to cover Ambulance Service Area No. 2 pending two further public hearings this summer; the board approved the temporary order unanimously.
Lane County commissioners on June 23 temporarily authorized Western Lane Fire & EMS Authority to provide ambulance services for Ambulance Service Area (ASA) No. 2, the county’s northwest coastal area, starting July 1, 2026.
Director Gray told the board the incumbent ASA provider notified the county it intends to end transport services on July 1. She said Western Lane Fire & EMS’s board approved accepting ASA No. 2 if the commissioners assigned it; because state ambulance assignment law requires notice and opportunities for competition, staff recommended a temporary assignment now to prevent a lapse in service and to allow two subsequent public hearings late this summer to determine a permanent assignment.
There was no in‑person or virtual public testimony on the item. Vice Chair Buck, Commissioner Farr and others praised staff and Western Lane Fire & EMS for the speed of the response. Commissioner Krieger said the service is critical for both residents and tourists along the coast and requested contact information for Western Lane’s board members so she could send a message of appreciation.
Commissioner Lovall moved to close the public hearing and later moved to approve Order 26062302 temporarily authorizing Western Lane Fire & EMS to provide ambulance services for ASA No. 2 (northwest). The motion passed 5–0.
The item provides a short‑term assignment to ensure uninterrupted ambulance coverage; staff said they will return with the permanent assignment after additional public hearings this summer.
