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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

State sues small eastern Idaho town over ambulance

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is suing a small town in eastern Idaho for refusing to hand over an ambulance. The Post Register (http://bit.ly/28RoCaw ) reports that fire officials in Swan Valley purchased an ambulance in 2012 using roughly $113,500 from a state grant, but the town has since lost its ambulance contract. Now the state says it wants the ambulance back or a full refund because the town is no longer improving services in the area. Bonneville County consolidated ambulance services under the city of Idaho Falls last year. Swan Valley opposed the decision. County officials recently sent Swan Valley a cease-and-desist letter for responding to emergency calls without authorization from county dispatchers.Swan Valley Fire Chief Dean Philbrick declined to comment.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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