Debate continues in Bonner EMS expansion

SANDPOINT – The Sagle Fire District remains optimistic that it can work out a new contract, but Bonner County is showing no sign of changing course in expanding its EMS service into Sagle.

“They’re still working on negotiating a contract with Bonner County,” said Ron Stocking, chief of the joint Sagle and Sandpoint fire departments.

The county’s expansion into Sagle will add three people to its payroll, but three EMS-trained firefighters in Sagle will be out of a job when the contract expires on July 1. It’s also touched off an ongoing debate about the fiscal ramifications and whether the level of EMS service will be improved or degraded by the expansion

Bonner County contends it can elevate the level of service because a paramedic will be stationed south of the Long Bridge. A paramedic currently responds from a Bonner EMS station in Sandpoint, although the response time can be greatly affected if a crash closes or blocks the span.

“They’re actually going to have better response time to their houses,” said Ross Crawford, deputy chief of operations for Bonner EMS.

Sagle counters that the expansion is a needless and costly duplication of services.

Sagle Firefighter Bernie Frechette contrasted with the $85,000 contract Sagle was being paid with the estimated $918,000 cost the county will incur to staff its Sagle station.

“How is that fiscally responsible to the taxpayers?” Frechette asked county commissioners on Tuesday.

Bonner County EMS officials disputed the $918,000 figure and emphasized that the expansion can be done with the existing budget and without raising taxes.

Solan Wolf, one of the Sagle firefighters who has been put on notice that he will be out of a job if the contract talks fail, argued that fire-based EMS provides the most versatility.

“We’re costing three people their jobs — basically trading in people that have multiple tools to use in our system for rescue, water rescue, life safety in terms of EMS and firefighter for people that have one tool,” said Wolf.

Selkirk Fire Rescue & EMS, the combined Sagle and Sandpoint departments, is an ardent proponent of fire-based EMS, but Bonner County EMS is directing its focus strictly on the delivery of emergency medical services.

Selkirk intends to roll its ambulance crews when the EMS contract lapses.

Attorneys for the city of Sandpoint and Sagle Fire have emphasized that the county has no authority to dictate how it responds to calls.

“We just want to be dispatched like we normally are. There should be no change to how we’re dispatched,” said Stocking.

Crawford said the county asked Sagle how it would like to be dispatched to calls back in May and has yet to receive a response.

Sagle has a license through the state to transport patients on intermediate life-support calls, although it’s not clear if Sagle will need its own medical director and dispatch contract in order to retain the license.

Stocking declined to comment on whether those potential hurdles will need to be surmounted in order to retain its license.

County commission Chairman Cary Kelly said the county isn’t dictating what Sagle can and cannot do in its district or trying to interfere with its capabilities. He added that the county remains confident that it can provide a better EMS service.

“That’s our responsibility as the ambulance district,” said Kelly.

“It’s not our responsibility to support Sagle and the firefighters. We love firefighters and we’re all for it, but our responsibility is emergency care and that’s why we’re doing this.”