Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
EMS tax levy would generate money for ambulance services
Members of Hartley's ambulance team check out their new rig in January of 2020. If adopted by voters, a countywide EMS levy would help finance a variety of ambulance-related expenses.
O'Brien County's emergency management director is hoping a special countywide property tax levy could bolster ambulance services in local communities.
Jared Johnson last month floated the proposal in front of the board of supervisors, who took no action on the matter. If adopted in the future, an EMS levy would not exceed 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation on all taxable property in O'Brien County while creating a trust fund to help pay for emergency medical services.
Johnson explained the money could help pay volunteer EMTs more money for their time, in turn attracting additional candidates to boost ambulance rosters. Right now, O'Brien County supports local ambulance services through the general budget.
"Over time, volunteerism has changed," Johnson said. "We have gradually seen a switch over to paid volunteers, and some services are using part-time or full-time staff to help cover shifts. Many of our local services are also paying volunteers to be on call."
The levy is made possible under Iowa Code Chapter 422D. To proceed to a public vote on the tax, the board of supervisors must first pass a resolution deeming emergency medical services essential. Then, O'Brien County voters would have to pass a resolution by at least 60 percent for the levy to go on the books.
Revenue generated by the levy could be used on a variety of EMS-related expenses, from equipment to vehicles to buildings.
However, Johnson said his main concern was with staffing. He explained many ambulance squads throughout the county are having trouble finding new members when veteran EMTs retire.
"We continue to see issues in regards to 'volunteerism'," Johnson explained. "It is challenging to find individuals that want to be first responders. It is difficult to find individuals that are able to commit the time and energy to volunteer on a local ambulance service."
He said ambulance services are trying to find creative ways to recruit new volunteers and retain the volunteers that they have by increasing call pay, providing on-call pay or increasing on-call pay, and paying for EMS continuing education.
"The challenge that we are facing is finding the people," said Johnson. "We have many local volunteers that provide a substantial amount of their time to be on call and go on calls for their community. Many of our volunteers have been serving on their local team for a number of years, and we have volunteers that are ready to retire."
Currently, O'Brien County has six city-owned ambulance services: Hartley, Sanborn, Sutherland, Primghar, Paullina and Sheldon. Johnson said he would like to see these services continue to operate well into the future and serve the public.
"Having a quick local emergency response is essential in different emergency situations," he said. "We want to find a way to continue to support the local ambulance services so that they can continue to operate and be successful."
Locally, Osceola County voters approved an EMS levy in November of 2022. Johnson said he hopes to create a new advisory committee to look further into questions, concerns and gain feedback regarding the levy.
In the meantime, he urged anyone interested in becoming an EMT to inquire with their local ambulance team.
"Right now, our local services could use more volunteer support. More help would be beneficial," Johnson said. "We are always looking for new volunteers that have a passion for EMS. By being a volunteer you can help make a difference in your community."
