EMS council awakened from coma

SAGLE — The comatose Bonner County Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council was revived on Wednesday.

The council, which advises county commissioners on EMS operations and policy, had been in a vegetative state for 33 months, after the panel resolved to meet on an as-needed basis.

The council’s revival comes as county commissioners mull whether privatize Bonner County EMS by turning the service contract over to a new entity whose nucleus is the Boundary Ambulance Service.

The potential move blindsided Bonner EMS employees heading into the holidays and sparked fear that they might no longer have jobs. It also raised open meeting law questions as the change was concealed in closed-door talks involving the resignation of former Bonner EMS Chief Bob Bussey. Commissioners openly admitted that the public was not to know of the possible change in direction of Bonner EMS and expressed dismay when the matter became the subject of news coverage.

The potential change was not welcomed by fire districts and other agencies which serve as first responders to EMS incidents.

Dave VanNatter of the West Pend Oreille Fire District advised commissioners last month that the council was invoking its bylaws and Bonner EMS rules in order to resume its advisory role, which has been dimmed out since the May 2016.

VanNatter said the council’s revival was not to be arch or antagonistic toward the commission.

“There’s a benefit to meeting together as EMS providers. We’re not trying to revamp the system,” VanNatter told representatives of fire districts and volunteer EMS agencies during the council’s special meeting.

However, it’s clear that the council seeks to have influence on EMS in Bonner County. The council also wants the acknowledgment and support of the commission.

“Without their support, we could be spinning our wheels for no reason,” VanNatter said.

Nevertheless, VanNatter advocated for continuing the council’s role even if commissioners declined to support it.

VanNatter said Commissioner Jeff Connolly indicated there was nothing barring the revival of the council, although the board declined to provide a deputy clerk to memorialize the actions during the meeting. Jeff Lindsey, the interim director of Bonner County EMS, was also conspicuously absent from the meeting. Commissioner Steve Bradshaw, however, attended the meeting.

A good portion of the meeting involved the status of members and determining the lay of the land when the council last met in 2016.

Ken Gramyk, a doctor at Bonner General Health, served as the council’s chairman on Wednesday.

“There is a need for this,” Gramyk said of the council.

The council is scheduled to meet again on March 7 at 3 p.m. The location has not been determined, although Bradshaw implied the Cocolalla Cowboy Church where he pastors could serve as a venue if the commission would not allow a meeting space on county property

“I know another building you could use,” Bradshaw said.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.