The Webster County Board of Supervisors appointed nine community and county leaders to the Webster County Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council on Tuesday.

The new board, which includes local elected officials and providers from throughout the county, will work to evaluate and develop a sustainable plan for EMS.

Named to the EMS Advisory Council were Barnum Mayor Cassie Dillon; Luke Hugghins, an EMT and Badger volunteer firefighter; Dan Hansen, Fort Dodge Assistant Fire Chief Matt Price, Dan Hanson, Clare Mayor Barb Passow, Fort Dodge City Councilman Cameron Nelson, Dr. Rachel Sokol, medical director for the Fort Dodge Fire Department; and Supervisor Niki Conrad.

“Making EMS an essential service in Webster County is vital to ensuring we are able to provide the emergency care that the public deserves,” said Price.. “Developing a plan and funding EMS like its other public safety partners ensures that we can fix our struggling system with one that is sustainable for the future. I look forward to serving on the advisory board.”

Earlier this year, the Webster County Board of Supervisors voted to designate EMS as an essential service in the county. Historically, Webster County communities have provided their own EMS services, relying on local volunteers to respond to emergencies. Training, continuing education, equipment, and medical protocols were managed at the community level. According to Price, advanced life support ambulances from Fort Dodge were rarely called upon outside of Fort Dodge city limits. However, Fort Dodge is now responding to daily EMS calls outside of city limits which overextends resources and impacts patient care in rural areas, which leads to delays when time is critical and can strain services designed primarily for urban needs.

EMS advisory board members will provide data as well as solutions at the supervisors’ Dec. 3 meeting.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the supervisors heard from Webster County Conservation Director Matt Cosgrove, who provided his annual report to the board.

According to Cosgrove, his team of 11 staff members manage more than 2,200 acres with five acres added this year for the River’s Edge Discovery Center.

Conservation’s expenditures were $1,306,168, which Cosgrove said was down from previous years.

He also noted that FY24 revenue of $640,248 was less than that of previous years due to a $50,000 decrease in camping fees. Cosgrove said Hamilton and Calhoun counties also saw similar decreases in camping fees.

“During COVID we were seeing a 300 percent increase in camping and outdoor activity,” said Cosgrove. “That number has now come down to below where it was previously.”

In his report, Cosgrove also focused on the many projects completed and in process including $250,000 worth of improvements for the Badger Lake restoration project, the Badger Lake Loop Trail, a $100,000 fish habitat grant, an environmental education plan for Webster County, a $393,000 grant for the Meier Marsh project, the Keepers of the Land volunteer program, and the construction of the River’s Edge Discovery Center.

“In my 28 years in conservation, I’ve never seen an investment in quality of life like this board has done with the projects that we’ve done recently, so on behalf of the conservation board and the staff, I want to thank all of you,” he said.

The supervisors also approved a development agreement between DBJG, LLC and Webster County for future housing, adopted the final consideration of a text amendment specific to zoning ordinances for the county, and approved the 2024 Residential Urban Renewal Plan for Webster County.

Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council

• NW Quadrant: Cassie Dillon, Mayor of Barnum

• NE Quadrant: Luke Huggins, EMS Director, Badger First Responders

• SE Quadrant: Dan Hansen, EMS Director, Dayton Ambulance

• SW Quadrant: Dan Hanson, Board Chair, Southwest Webster Ambulance

• Fort Dodge Fire Department: Matt Price, Assistant Fire Chief

• Rural Representative: Barb Passow, Mayor of Clare

• Fort Dodge City Representative: Cameron Nelson, City Council Member

• Medical Director: Dr. Rachel Sokol, UnityPoint

• Webster County Supervisor: Niki Conrad