Emergency Service
Trucks For Fires, Not Medical Runs
GUARDIAN reader “Clancy” provided the photo above for what he said was a recent medical call on Americana. He calls the response–two police cars, an EMS supervisor, an ambulance, and a 100 foot aerial ladder–ABSURD. He is correct and the GUARDIAN has met with new fire chief Dennis Doan to discuss a more reasonable approach. […]
Fire Wages Revealed, Bennies Compared
The Daily Paper and others reported last week that Boise City and the firefighters union had settled on a labor contract. Those agreements are conducted in secret and the citizens are just asked to pay the bill. That’s the way it is and there are good points and bad with such a system. However, we […]
Judge Nixes Ada EMS Ordinance
The GUARDIAN is a little late on this one, but an August 17 decision from 4th District Judge Kathryn Sticklen could cause the Ada County Paramedics to seek some first aid. In what apparently was billed as a “test case” law suit, the county filed suit against the Kuna Rural Fire District for running their […]
Boise Fire Responds To Growth
Boise Fire Department finds itself in a bit of a dilemma over a new station. To accommodate new growth in the northwest part of the city they are aiming to build a new station somewhere along Hill Road. Seems there is a fair amount of resistance–some folks don’t want to hear sirens screaming all the […]
Homeless Ambulance Crew Roves
Looks like Ada County EMS has at least one homeless ambulance which “roves” while it is parked. Here is the story. The GUARDIAN recently got the following reader query which we forward on to Ada County regarding ambulance coverage in what used to be the Whitney Fire District, but is now part of Boise City. […]
Do Fed Grants Influence Fire Staffing?
A reader tells us one of the possible reasons fire departments are adding paramedics to their staffs could be to qualify for federal money…Something to do with homeland security. One program–we don’t know if any of the locals are going for it or not–has a cutsie name of “Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response” […]
EMS Monopoly Ordinance Goes To Court
The issue of who has the ultimate authority to operate ambulance service, establish medical protocol and levy taxes is headed for the courts in what can be termed as a “test case.” Ada County Commishes passed the ordinance which was strongly opposed by fire chiefs and firefighters at last week’s meeting. The passage and resulting […]
EMS Losing Ground In Turf War?
LATE BREAKING UPDATE A reader directed us to the the Idaho Code and it looks like the cities–not the county holds the high ground in this turf battle. 31-3905. AMBULANCE SERVICE — OPERATION DEPENDENT UPON RESOLUTION OF EACH CITY — RIGHT TO TAX UNAFFECTED BY NONSERVICE. “All cities and villages within the county, upon resolution […]
Ada EMS Stiffs Fire Departments
Boise and Whitney fire departments got stuck with an unexpected bill for a new fire station after the Ada County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) backed out of an agreement to share in the cost of a housing an ambulance in Southwest Boise. In a plan to accommodate future urban sprawl, Boise built a new fire […]
NO Free Ride On EMS With Big Blue
A reader tells the GUARDIAN that Idaho’s largest health insurance provider–Blue Cross–will not cover much of the cost of Ada County EMS ambulance service. Those of us with health insurance are familiar with the list of preferred providers who have negotiated agreements with Big Blue. Typically the insurance pays an agreed upon rate and the […]
Firemen Respond to 70% Medical Calls
As the turf war between Ada County EMS and the fire departments heats up again, it would be appropriate for the fire departments to take stock of their evolving role as providers of essential services. Under a well intended plan to get medical aid quickly to those in need, three firefighters aboard a $275,000 fire […]
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