Second EMS meeting draws crowd

NEWPORT – The second public hearing on Pend Oreille County’s proposed Emergency Medical Services District drew 17 speakers Tuesday, July 1 in the commissioners’ room.

Most but not all the speakers spoke against forming a district and most, but not all had some connection to a fire district or a city that had a position on forming an EMS district.

Newport Mayor Keith Campbell said that the city wasn’t in favor of an EMS district. He said another layer of government was not necessary.

“I feel for those up north who are trying to make this work,” Campbell said. He suggested they emulate South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue. But his real objection to a countywide EMS District was tax. “My big concern with an EMS district is that you can tax.”

He said that even though no tax has been proposed, he said he’s never known a government entity that can tax to not tax.

Taxes were a frequent topic of some who did speak at the Newport meeting.

Jeff Norling said there is no way to have an EMS district without taxes. “I don’t want to pay any more taxes,” he said. He said his recent tax statement from the county showed a 30% increase in valuation. “I’m tired of government control. We don’t need it.”

Not everyone was opposed.

Blake McAnerin said he was in favor of the EMS district.

Pete Scobby said he questioned the use of taxes for fire protection being used to run an ambulance company.

“I’d like to see some separation between providing EMS and transporting people out of the jurisdictions to different cities,” Scobby said.

He said he knew he was covered by ambulance service in Diamond Lake.

“But when I drive my car to the Camas Center to go exercise, I want the same level of service as I would get if I were at home,” Scobby said. “It is a countywide problem.”

“Whether you need an EMS district or not is really not the question,” he said. “The question is do we have a plan for everyone who lives in Pend Oreille County and are we doing it from a countywide approach or just each individual fire district.”

Ken Peralta said he was in favor of an EMS district. He said that he wanted the same level of service he would get in the SPOFR response area when he travels out of that area to other parts of the county.

Peralta said that there had been bylaws drawn up years ago when the county was considering forming an EMS district.

“We had bylaws that we borrowed from other areas of the state,” he said. He wondered what happened to those bylaws.

Katharine Napier-Janz said she hadn’t heard enough about how an EMS district would be managed for her to support it, including the funding. She was also concerned about competition between various other tax levies, if an EMS district were formed and a tax levy were to be sought.

“So how all this will work, I don’t actually know, and I think that’s the problem right now for me,” she said.

SPOFR Fire Chief Shane Stocking spoke at the start of the hearing and Fire District 2 Fire Chief Chris Haynes spoke at the end of the hearing.

Stocking said SPOFR wasn’t in favor of the current EMS district proposal because of three reasons: unanswered questions, the threat of taxation and the loss of local control. Those reasons were outlined in written comments submitted by SPOFR and the City of Newport.

He said SPOFR wasn’t anti-EMS district.

“We’re not anti-formation of it, we’re not anti- partial formation of it, we’re not anti-full county formation as long as we have some of those questions answered, in terms of bylaws that control and protect things,” Stocking said.

Haynes said the main reason to form an EMS district was not for taxes, but to receive grant and other funding in the event of such as a pandemic or similar catastrophe. Haynes said there were many grants out there and the larger the EMS district, the greater the ability to receive those grants.

“If we build a foundation now, rather than when the storm comes, we’ll be better off and be better able to withstand that storm if it ever comes,” Haynes said.

There were two lengthy written comments submitted as well as the oral testimony at the two public hearings.

South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue and the City of Newport submitted a letter outlining their analysis of the proposed county-wide EMS district that was received July 1.

“After numerous meetings, public comments, and workshops from County, to City, to local Fire District levels, SPOFR and Newport are of the position that forming an EMS District is of unknown benefit, with unanswered questions, and is therefore unworthy of the addition of unnecessary levels of government in Pend Oreille County. There has not been enough information presented, no factual benefits, or guarantees made to ensure parity for either entity to fully support this measure.”

Newport and SPOFR questioned why the county would want control of local EMS services. Forcing all the fire districts into an EMS district seems irresponsible, they wrote in their comments.

“North and South County are inherently different, and a one size fits all method of supplying service is not just unreasonable, it would be reckless and ill-advised,” they wrote.

Sonya Scauflaire of Metaline submitted written remarks that were received June 24. She pointed out that for more than a year after SPOFR received its Advanced Life Support license from the state in March 2023 it met the requirements for the ALS license by relying on a mutual aid agreement with Fire District 2. SPOFR and Fire District 2 have the only allowed ALS licenses in Pend Oreille County.

She wrote that it has only been in recent weeks that SPOFR has been able to staff ALS services around the clock.

“Furthermore, I find it incredulous of both SPOFR and the Newport City Council to declare at the Council meetings and town halls that an EMS district is only about adding a layer of government control and generating new tax revenue,” she wrote. “We have a long-standing example in our county of a taxing jurisdiction existing without collecting taxes: Port of Pend Oreille.”

What’s next?

NEWPORT – The Pend Oreille County commissioners will draw up some bylaws for an Emergency Medical Services district, have them reviewed by Prosecutor Dolly Hunt, then distribute them to stakeholders. Another hearing is being scheduled for the Camas Center, at night if possible.

Commissioner Robert Rosencrantz has been heading up the county’s look into forming the district.

“At the recent public hearings regarding potential EMS District formation there was a clear desire expressed by many participants to see in writing the proposed structure and guidelines before any decisions are made or votes are taken,” he said in a written statement. “In response the county commissioners will work with our prosecuting attorney on draft bylaws for review and comment by all interested parties. This will extend the process, but it’s important to get EMS right so it’s a worthwhile investment of time.”