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Board approves EMS travel request, hears deputy‑chief hire and discusses ambulance fee changes
Summary
Board approved an out-of-state travel request for Chief Austin Wingate to present a US abstract; Wingate announced Bill Clark as deputy chief, and the board discussed a proposed increase to the ALS‑2 base rate to offset new blood costs and align with Medicare percentiles.
The board approved an out-of-state travel request for Chief Austin Wingate to attend an international symposium to present a research abstract developed in partnership with CDPHE; Wingate asked for assistance with registration and airfare because acceptance notice was late. "I'll cover that cost out of my own pocket... I'd rather keep that money in the training fund for our crews," Wingate said; commissioners approved funding up to standard government rates and moved to voucher the travel.
Wingate also announced the hire of Bill Clark as deputy chief in Kremmling. Later in the meeting Wingate proposed a fee change: increasing the ALS‑2 base rate from $2,270 to $2,800 to partially offset the cost of carrying and using blood on calls (patients receiving blood would be billed ALS‑2). Commissioners discussed broader EMS billing strategy and asked staff to model fee alternatives to aim for an average billing level near 300% of Medicare; Lang/EMS agreed to return with comparative data before final budget decisions.
