JCEMS to stop ambulance service in Southern Kiowa County in November

Jackson County Emergency Medical Service, which has been providing ambulance service to the former Kiowa County District 3 Emergency Medical Service, will terminate that service in November, according to William Stevens, JCEMS director. Stevens presented a letter to that effect, which also said KCD3 breached their agreement. In addition he said JCEMS is losing a substantial amount of funds due to servicing Kiowa County.

JCEMS says it costs them approximately $17,472 - $20,208 per month just to keep a two-man crew in the district. The three towns have been paying them their one cent sales tax and were supposed to maintain the station.

The letter said some of the things KCD3 failed to do was to properly house the ambulance from the elements with an awning and perform routine and required maintenance to the station.

On July 22 representatives from Snyder, Mountain Park and Roosevelt met with KCD3 board members, including Chairman of the Board John Vaughn, secretary Jana Moeller, board member Jackie Willis, Snyder Vice Mayor David Rhodes and City Clerk Penny Ray, Mt. Park Mayor Adam Ney and City Clerk Kelly Harmon, Roosevelt Mayor Justin Krehbiel and board member Mike Montgomery and JCEMS representatives Director William Stevens, Chairman of the Board Dorothy Butler, and their accountant.

They said JCEMS would work with KCD3 and offered some suggestions. Possible help could come from county commissioners, representatives, etc. Everyone said they would work on finding people to talk to. The next meeting will be announced at a later date.

Even with that breach, they are willing to keep the service going until November 1 in order to allow KCD3 time to locate a proper replacement for JCEMS.

The emergency medical service, established in 1979, covers the towns of Snyder, Mountain Park, Roosevelt and the surrounding rural area, some 470 square miles. It is supported by a one cent sales tax from the three towns and fees charged when the ambulance is used. It was initially operated by volunteer emergency medical technicians and changed to a paid crew in 1994. With the cost of the ambulances, bills for transporting patients not being paid and personnel not wanting to work in rural areas, KCD3 was losing money and unable to meet payroll, so they contracted out to JCEMS in 2016.