EMS district discussion continues

The topic of forming a local Emergency Medical Services district continues to be discussed, most recently at Electric City’s Oct. 11 city council meeting. 

Nic Alexander, who serves as assistant fire chief to Chief Ryan Fish for the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department and the Grand Coulee Ambulance, spoke at the meeting, explaining many of the same details he made to Grand Coulee’s council in August.

He said the area needs a full-time, paid ambulance director, plus additional staff. 

The current EMS boundaries reach from Leahy Junction to about halfway to Wilbur on SR-174, and from the Million Dollar Mile to the Belvedere area on SR-155.

A district would include that same range, and voters within it could pay a tax that would help fund the department.

Alexander also explained that EMS and fire departments have to be separate entities, and that EMS district dollars couldn’t go toward funding a fire department.

That idea had been popular in previous discussions of the topic.

He said he is working with Electric City Clerk Peggy Nevsimal in learning if special-purpose tax dollars from Grant County meant for public safety can be used for EMS purposes or if they are strictly for law enforcement.

Alexander said he dreams that someday, in his lifetime, he’ll see a fully funded EMS service in the area, with a million dollar a year budget.