On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, Wright County is holding a special election to implement a voter-approved property tax assessment with the funds to be allocated for each EMS service within Wright
County, including Eagle Grove, Belmond, Dows, Goldfield, and Clarion. This vote is similar to the 2018 special election with a few new clauses.
BACKGROUND
In 2016, Dows Ambulance Service was forced to close its doors, initiating a serious need for reform for EMS Services within Wright County. Areas of concern include a decrease in volunteers and insurance reimbursement and an increase in operational costs, including the necessity for continuous training, equipment and vehicle replacement, an increased response area for some services, and an increase in pay rate to volunteers and staff that had been stagnant for many years.
The Wright County Board of Supervisors made a request to City and County Officials, Hospital Administration, EMS Agency Leaders, and others to form an EMS Advisory Council to address this crisis.
In 2018, Wright County citizens voted to approve a property tax assessment with a 5-year sunset, which allows for appropriation of funding for the areas of concern listed above.
WHAT YOUR TAX DOLLARS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO
Funds from the Wright County Essential Service tax assessment have been used by EMS services to purchase up-to-date equipment, provide annual training on the forever evolving healthcare field, and allowed for onboarding of paid staff.
– Heart Monitors. These monitors are equipped with an automatic defibrillator and have the capability to obtain basic vitals signs when the ambulance is in motion, with the option of setting timers for repeat readings. Not only does this allow for a more accurate reading, it also enables EMS providers the ability to mulit-task, allowing for treatment of other injuries or symptoms and enabling a more efficient option in the treatment and transport of the patient from start to finish. Another important heart monitor capability is EKG reading and transmittal. All EMTs, AEMTs, and Paramedics are trained to obtain an EKG reading on the heart. The ability to transmit these readings to the appropriate hospital allows for fast and efficient treatment of heart disease and illness. This has also been proven to save the lives of those experiencing a heart attack, as every second counts. The average cost to purchase one of these machines is $13,915, not including replacement of parts, supplies, and annual inspection by a state certified individual to ensure it is in proper working order.
– Auto-Load Stretchers. Eagle Grove purchased the power-load system in March of 2022. Prior to this purchase, providers were tasked with manually lifting and loading each patient on the stretcher into the back of the ambulance. At times, this required 5-6 people. Between 2020 and 2022, SIX on-the-job injuries had been reported. I am happy to report that we have had only ONE on-the-job injury between March of 2022 and today. This installation has also decreased the risk of patient injury while loading/unloading and reduced the cost of additional resources.
– Ambulance Replacements. A new ambulance costs over $200,000. Here in Eagle Grove, funds from the voter-approved property tax assessment have covered 80% of the cost of the purchase of a new ambulance, equipped with an Auto-Load stretcher. We currently house a 2009 and 2019 Ford. We run all calls with our 2019 ambulance, as it is more reliable and fuel-efficient. “Betsy”, is our 2009 ambulance. When I ran as a volunteer in 2012, Betsy ran as the primary ambulance until the purchase of our 2019 replacement. This means for 7 years, Betsy had been utilized to the best of her ability and is now requiring more maintenance and less reliability. Furthermore, Betsy is not equipped with the Auto-Load stretcher. A vote to continue this EMS essential service tax has enabled us to purchase a new ambulance, allowing for a rotation of ambulances every 3,000 miles, ultimately allowing for a more
efficient running of the service.
– We work closely with the surrounding communities and have relied on other services for mutual aid and assistance. The Quick Response Vehicle has been a vital resource to our community. Staffed with a paramedic, Eagle Grove as called for their assistance to care for critically ill and injured patients on numerous occasions. Not only are they a vital asset to the patient, the years of experience, knowledge, and skills the paramedics are able to provide allow local responders to learn and grow in the EMS field.
– Funds have also been used to recruit and provide training to current EMS drivers to EMT status, as well as new individuals interested in helping out in the community. Furthermore, courses on BLS Provider CPR Instructor, Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization, Advanced EMT, and an Emergency Vehicle Operators Course that was offered to all EMS and Fire personnel within Wright County.
The future of EMS is in your hands and EMS Services within Wright County need your continued support.
Voting takes place on Tuesday, September 12th, 2023 between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
Voting sites:
Eagle Grove: Memorial Hall
Goldfield: Fire Station
Dows: Dows Convention Center
Belmond (& Rowan): Belmond City Hall
Clarion: Wright County Courthouse
Your vote is an investment in the future of EMS within Wright County. When you call, we WANT to come.
Respectfully,
Lashelle Burger
EGEMS Service Director
