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County warns Linn City EMS will cease service; Washington to discuss county plan for second ambulance unit
Summary
Washington officials were told Linn City EMS plans to stop service Nov. 30, 2026; Washington County told the council it may acquire equipment, fund an architectural study for a countywide ambulance based in Washington, and pursue licensing that could take six–eight months.
Washington City Council members heard July 6 that Linn City EMS plans to cease ambulance service on Nov. 30, 2026, and that several certifications for Linn personnel will lapse at the end of the year.
Randy Hubbard, representing Washington County, told the council that "according to Lisa Voelker five employee certifications expire Dec. 31, 2026, and they have chosen not to renew." Hubbard said county commissioners have expressed interest in buying Linn City’s ambulance and supplies to provide a second unit for the county’s coverage area, but that any acquisition and conversion would depend on what Linn’s council decides.
Hubbard said he would ask Linn’s council about 12 handheld radios purchased through ARPA funding "valued at $27,600 and now cost 25% higher," and noted that part of the original agreement stated the radios would revert to the county if the entity ceases to exist. He added the county plans to spend about $25,000 for architectural drawings to model a fulltime countywide EMS using Washington’s Emergency Services Building and asked whether the city council would allow him to meet with Rob Peschel of CES Group, Inc. to develop the plan.
City Administrator Carl Chalfant said any work on designs should be governed by a contract between the county and the city before the county begins paid work. Council members pressed Hubbard on timing and commitment; Hubbard said licensing could take "six to eight months" and that the county’s move to a fulltime service was an eventual goal but not immediate.
Full-time AEMT Caroline Scoville said Washington has an obligation to try to maintain local ambulance coverage and described operational considerations: protocols, policies, hospital transfer notice, and possible transport destination limits. Scoville told the council she "will have conversations with personnel and visit with the hospitals and nursing homes" and will draft policies to share with the service director, city attorney and council.
By consensus the council agreed to let the county meet with Peschel and requested notice of those meetings so council members who are available may attend. No formal county–city contract or funding transfer was finalized at the July 6 meeting.
