County emergency official urges Washington to meet with Linn about temporary ambulance agreement

Randy Hubbard of Washington County Emergency Preparedness briefed the Washington City Council on March 16 about a proposal for the City of Washington to meet with the City of Linn to discuss a temporary cooperative ambulance service.

Hubbard told the council that Linn is “in service 99.9% of the time” but faces staffing vulnerabilities and that county funding could be used to raise wages and purchase equipment. He said the county attorney indicated funds could come from the county but that spending priorities would remain a city decision. “This is an opportunity to work together to continue to provide a strong EMS service for the community until a long‑term solution is in place,” Hubbard said.

Why it matters: Council members pressed on coverage, costs and exit terms, reflecting concern about continuity of emergency medical service coverage in the short term while county leaders consider a permanent model. Washington’s council sought clarity on staffing backup, licensing timelines and whether county funding distribution would include the city.

Council members asked how often Linn is available and what would happen if a partner service were temporarily out of service. Hubbard said Linn operates nearly constantly but is vulnerable — “one work comp accident away from being able to provide a service,” he said — and that mutual‑aid and resource‑management agreements would help cover gaps. Caroline Scoville, a full‑time EMT with Washington, discussed how scheduling, payroll and billing would need to be handled through Washington if the cooperative agreement moved forward.

Council members asked that termination provisions, housing costs for crews and the mechanics of county funding be written into any agreement. Hubbard said licensing and permit timelines are manageable: each ambulance permit costs $40 and there is a $100 service permit fee; licenses expire April 30, 2026, and a service that paused operations can regain its license without a lengthy process. The minutes note that Hanover’s service operated about 75% of the time in 2025 and that Hanover temporarily surrendered its license in April 2022, resuming service with Washington in September 2022, illustrating service volatility.

Mayor Garett Edgar and several council members expressed openness to the talks. The council did not approve a contract at the meeting but reached consensus to meet with Linn and directed Mayor Edgar to reach out to Linn to schedule discussions. City Administrator Carl Chalfant said he viewed the talks as a “win‑win” and recommended including county commissioners in the discussions.

What’s next: The council’s approval to negotiate is a direction to staff and elected officials, not a binding contract. Any formal agreement would need to include termination terms, housing and payroll arrangements and clarify county funding distribution; council members requested a timeline from county commissioners for establishing a permanent, full‑time county service, which Hubbard said has not yet been fixed.