City Government
Paramedic Trade Worthy Of Major League Baseball
February 7, 2011 
In a four-way trade between Ada County, The Western Idaho Fair (Expo Idaho), North Ada County Fire & Rescue, and the Ada County Emergency Medical Services, the Chinden Blvd. fire station will reopen… sort of… sometimes.
In October the fire station was closed when NACFR ran out of money due to lower assessed 
property values. Boise FD provides coverage to NACFR under a contract, but since NACFR couldn’t pay its agreed upon rate to Boise, the station was closed. Boise claimed the closure saved $1,000,000 a year, but it increased response times to a big portion of Garden City and the Fairview-Curtis area of Boise.
Today the County EMS reports they were offered use of the closed station for ambulance responses. To pay the “rent” Ada County Commishes–who run the ada County Ambulance District (which is NOT a county agency) got together with Expo Idaho, which is a county enterprise fund that doesn’t use any tax revenues, and told them to stop charging the monthly $1,000 rent for the NACFR station on Glenwood which is on fairgrounds land as a trade.
It would appear the Fair is losing a grand to the EMS in lost rent. But these EMS folks are crafty as a medical insurance policy when it comes to money. The EMS claim they would be charging the Fair (Expo Idaho) about $12,000 for paramedic service each year, sooo while the Fair will lose 12 grand in rent to NACFR, they will save 12 grand that EMS has never charged previously, but claims they will charge in the future.
Now that we have explained that part, the question remains: HOW THE HECK DID ANYONE SAVE $1,000,000 CLOSING A FIRE STATION THAT IS BEING REOPENED AND NO MONEY CHANGED HANDS? ON TOP OF THAT BOISE “ABSORBED” ABOUT 9 FIREFIGHTERS IN THE DEAL.
Guv Butch and the legislature need these folks to balance the state budget. Boise FD closes a station, pays 9 firefighters and saves $1,000,000 and somehow the same station reopens with paramedics and NO firefighters for $12,00 in trades. Who is on first?
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Feb 7, 2011, 9:25 pm
I can’t wait for the discussion trail on this one…let the games begin!!!!
Feb 8, 2011, 3:41 am
Well, Guardian, you just have to watch closely; pay attention, now: Which shell is the pea under?
Feb 8, 2011, 8:42 am
I don’t get how agencies are running out of money due to lower assessed values— considering there was no windfall when assessed values were rising dramatically. At least according to BoB McQuade there was no windfall.
Feb 10, 2011, 1:27 pm
It’s really just a question of “Smoke and Mirrors”, Shirley, “Smoke and Mirrors”. Same way this city has been run for the last 10 years. (Love the new nickname Guardian! It is even sweeter when self-inflicted!)