(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a special session Tuesday morning, and held a public hearing to receive comment on a proposed EMS resolution that declares Emergency Medical Response an essential service. In his minutes of the meeting, Auditor Mark Maxwell said Emergency Management Director Alex Londo and Tim Plumb, Chair of the Shelby County EMS Council, told the Board that in 2021 legislation was passed that allowed counties in Iowa to declare Emergency Medical Services an essential service and allow taxation to fund the service. An advisory Council was formed and recommendations were given to the Supervisors for consideration. Plumb and Londo said that regular Advisory Council meetings are held and are open to the public. It was noted that the number of volunteers has been slowly dropping as well as EMS volunteers working in their home communities. The fact was mentioned that the number of volunteers in Shelby County are not enough to provide service to the whole county.

Jennifer Lefeber, Myrtue Medical Center Emergency Room Director commented that the low number of volunteers and the high level of care that some patients require will continue to need the same high level of cooperation that is now in place between the existing private and volunteer ambulance services. Lefeber also noted that with volunteer ambulance service prolonged waits for transfers is not uncommon. Gene Gettys, Harlan City Administrator and who sits on the current Ambulance Commission, said that when 911 is dialed for a medical emergency it is now expected that an ambulance will be at the scene within a reasonable amount of time. The time of arrival on the scene by an all-volunteer service, he said, may be greater than a full time service depending on volunteer availability.

Joel Wahling recognized the need for a full-time ambulance service but asked if there were other ways of funding this undertaking by Shelby County. Wahling said keeping property taxes in line is a priority of property owners. Glenn Birks, an EMS volunteer in Earling, urged the Supervisors to declare this an essential service and it is imperative to get this passed. Darin Haake told the Board of Supervisors that too much work has gone into this process not to complete the process of calling for a public measure to be placed on the ballot this fall. Neil Gross, Shelby County Sheriff, said that the Advisory Council has done its due diligence to start this process. His experiences in calls that require EMS units service, is that the response time of EMS is critical.

The Auditors office noted that no response was received in his office regarding the series of hearings. Supervisor Kenkel noted that the funding options are limited, because of legislation and it will take new legislation to change the funding mechanism. The hearing was then ended, and a motion to approval the final resolution was passed unanimously. The Resolution declares emergency medical services to be an essential County service, and authorizes upon voter approval on November 7, 2023, the imposition of a Local Option income surtax not to exceed 1% and/or an ad valorem property tax not to exceed seventy-five cents per one thousand dollars of assessed value on all taxable property within the county.

The Shelby County Supervisors then unanimously approved the Sheriffs Deputy appointment of Derick Steffen.