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

Officials: Idaho’s rural EMS agencies need help

Carl Crabtree (Courtesy)
By William L. Spence Lewiston Tribune

Faced with changing demographics and scant funding, the emergency medical services that provide life-saving care for many Idahoans may be in need of some rescuing themselves.

State Sen. Carl Crabtree, R-Grangeville, said he’s heard stories of rural EMS agencies relying on bake sales and donations just to keep fuel in their vehicles, while others depend on a shrinking pool of volunteers to man the ambulances and respond to calls.

“My question is, how sustainable are these agencies?” Crabtree said. “How do we develop a model that sustains itself and keeps care at the community level?”

Crabtree is hoping a series of statewide meetings, including two in north central Idaho next month, will generate some creative solutions to the problems faced by these organizations.

The meetings were prompted by a concurrent resolution lawmakers passed last session. The measure was sponsored by Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson, and co-sponsored by Crabtree and several of his colleagues.

Wayne Denny, head of the Department of Health and Welfare’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness, said the intent is to “look at tangible solutions that we can bring to the table today to help address these issues.”

For example, the idea of providing some tax incentives or health benefits was raised at some of the initial meetings, as a way to help EMS agencies recruit volunteers.

“That would require some (state) resources, but we’ll have a conversation with lawmakers about whether that’s something we should explore,” he said.

There’s also been talk about ways to educate the public about the cost of emergency services, and how to improve awareness of the volunteer nature of many agencies.

“A lot of people don’t really understand that,” Denny said. “They call for an ambulance and get frustrated if it takes 20 or 30 minutes to get there. They don’t understand that it’s staffed by volunteers.”

Denny’s bureau is responsible for licensing all ambulance organizations in the state, as well as the EMS personnel who man them. There are four levels of certification for individuals, ranging from an emergency medical responder to a paramedic. Each level of certification has a specific scope of procedures and interventions that the individual is allowed to perform.

The license for emergency medical responders and emergency medical technicians is good for three years, while the advanced EMT and paramedic licenses are good for two years.

Statewide, a little more than half of the 4,400 EMS responders in Idaho are paid; the remainder are volunteers, although some receive compensation on a per-call basis.

During each license renewal period, Denny said, there’s about a 30 percent turnover in personnel. Consequently, agencies always need to be focused on recruitment.

“Some (EMS volunteers) have been doing it for 20 years and want to retire,” he said. “Others see some things they can’t deal with, and for others it’s just too hard balancing work and family and their volunteer activities.”

Population decline is another factor affecting the availability of volunteers, Denny said. As smaller rural towns turn into bedroom communities, for example, the pool of volunteers shrinks.

“Someone who’s commuting an hour every day is less likely to volunteer,” he said.

Funding for EMS agencies can often be a challenge as well. While some are part of ambulance taxing districts or fire protection districts, others are private associations that rely largely on donations.

“The funding varies widely,” Denny said. “The state has some dedicated funding, about $1.4 million per year, which is used to buy ambulances and equipment for rural agencies. We also have a federal EMS for Children grant that funds a lot of pediatric equipment for agencies.”

Nevertheless, the stories Crabtree has heard about agencies relying on bake sales to buy fuel “is accurate in some cases,” he said.

The EMS bureau will hold 16 meetings across the state to try and generate solutions to the various issues agencies face.

The first meeting in north central Idaho will be in June 11 at Grangeville, followed by a meeting June 14 at Moscow. The Grangeville session takes place at 7 p.m. at the Grangeville Senior Center, 108 Truck Route Road; the Moscow meeting takes place at the Gritman Medical Center first floor conference room, 700 S. Main, also at 7 p.m.