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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

West Plains joins ambulance board

Most fire districts in Spokane County join to negotiate contract

Jeslyn Lemke Correspondent

Fire districts and departments around the West Plains recently approved an agreement to potentially restructure their ambulance service, joining most other Spokane County fire departments in this vote.

Cheney, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Fire District 3, other West Plains fire entities and most others in the rest of Spokane County are forming a board that would negotiate a service with just one ambulance agency.

“I think what we are coming up with is a very good commitment that will benefit anyone who is involved with it,” Cheney Fire Chief Mike Winters said.

A single ambulance currently services all of the West Plains, answering five to seven calls a day from its station near Medical Lake Exit 272, off Interstate 90.

While West Plains fire chiefs said the service is more than adequate, it still takes an average of 17 minutes for that ambulance to reach Cheney.

“We’re hoping for a more speedy response into the city of Cheney,” Winters said. “If you have a cardiac arrest or something, brain cells die within four to six minutes. The longer it takes to get life support on the scene, the quicker the chances of survival are.”

Eastern Washington University draws about 10,000 people a year in addition to Cheney’s population of 10,000.

“Hopefully, we can make this cost-effective and manageable for our citizens, too,” Winters said.

Most fire entities in Spokane County have their own agreement with ambulance services, namely American Medical Response and Rural/Metro Corp.

The board hopes to reduce the cost of ambulance service by choosing the best bidder from among several ambulance companies.

Both AMR and Rural/Metro Corp. have indicated they’d like to be considered for service.

“We have every intention of putting forth a proposal when the request proposal comes out,” said John Serben, business development manager for AMR.

Airway Heights Fire Chief John Schoen said there may be no change in service to his city because the existing ambulance is already close by.

“(The interlocal agreement) isn’t because we’re getting inadequate service,” he said. “It’s a way of making sure we have consistent service.”

The agreement leaves wiggle room for fire districts because it won’t force any of the involved parties to sign the ensuing contract with the ambulance agency.

Contact correspondent Jeslyn Lemke by e-mail at jlemke12@yahoo.com.