(Atlantic) Cass County voters overwhelmingly vote “Yes ‘for EMS 4,883 yes, to 1506, no.
In 2021, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 615, allowing counties to designate emergency medical service (EMS) departments as essential county services, placing them equally with state law enforcement and fire departments.
Police and fire departments are already essential services, which means they must respond to emergencies by law. The same applies to the county’s ambulance service.
Dr. Elaine Berry, Chief Medical Officer, says we need to have EMS available, and the paid service (Cass EMS) and the volunteer services throughout the county, Anita, Cumberland, Marne, Massena, Lewis, and Griswold are essential for their medical support throughout the county.
Dr. Berry says the funds will support the volunteer and paid services, with most of the money going to the paid service. The country needs to fund at least 13 staff members to supply two ambulances that rotate 24/7. The funds will also support the volunteers by supplying them with needed equipment and EMT training money, which costs one thousand dollars per person to be trained as an EMT.
Cass Health CEO Brett Altman says that four years ago, the city and the county had subsidized the service independently. There was one single ambulance life support staff, so they came to Cass Health to see if they would become a third partner to help subsidize this to help with the ever-increasing costs from $210,000 the first year to $750,000.
The Advisory Council, which includes each member of Cass County Communities Volunteer Services, will distribute the funds.
