When a resident of Fort Dodge calls 911 for an ambulance, one is currently dispatched through the Fort Dodge Fire Department. But that may not always be the case as emergency medical services are not guaranteed in the future as they are currently not funded by the city, county, or even the state.

Like most counties in Iowa, EMS is not considered essential and therefore does not receive funding like their fire department and law enforcement counterparts. Instead, EMS departments, like the Fort Dodge Fire Department, Dayton Rescue, and the Southwest Webster Emergency Medical Service have historically relied on donations, fundraisers, and sometimes even utilizing funds from their corresponding fire department, all of which are also falling off.

However, while emergency call outs in the city as well as into rural Webster County become more plentiful, insurance companies are paying less for transports, medical supplies are becoming excessively priced, and staffing is fewer, leaving EMS leaders to wonder how their departments can even afford to respond to emergencies.

“This is not a new problem,” said Webster County Emergency Manager Dylan Hagen. “We’ve been working on funding options for quite awhile. The county just named EMS as an essential service and it also happens that we’re at a really important point of no return right now. If this doesn’t pass, we don’t know if or who will respond to emergency calls. Knowing that EMS is not an essential service here means that we may not get an ambulance or an EMS provider to respond when someone calls 911, and that’s scary.”

What homeowners will pay in increased taxes

A March 4 special election will determine whether EMS will be designated as an essential service in Webster County and be funded into the future by a dedicated tax of 75 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value that would fund EMS services throughout Webster County — both within the city of Fort Dodge and in rural communities.

“We’ve projected in working with the auditor’s office that this dedicated tax will raise about $1.6 million annually,” said Luke Hugghins, a member of the EMS committee. “Of that, the largest chunk will go towards the transport agencies that will be providing services in those areas.”

For Webster County property owners with an approximate taxable value of $115,000, they would pay $86.89 annually in taxes for EMS services. Those with an approximate taxable value of $162,000 would pay $121.65 annually in taxes for EMS services throughout the county to continue.

If passed, the EMS funds would be placed into an EMS Trust Fund with the county and to be distributed by the county. The funds would not be separated between the city of Fort Dodge and the county. Instead, all funds would be held by the county and overseen by an EMS Advisory Council as well as the Webster County supervisors.

If passed, Fort Dodge Fire Rescue is anticipated to receive approximately $1.2 million in funding because they have the largest tax base in the county. That funding is anticipated to be used to purchase an additional ambulance, build a second fire station on the west side of Fort Dodge, and hire nine additional staff members.

“This would be an additional three (staff) per shift,” said Fort Dodge Assistant Fire Chief Matt Price. “This allows us a guarantee of two every day in order to have one more ambulance in service. Our current station is also full and was designed before we took over the ambulance, so we need to add a station for the staffing and better coverage and response times.”

The second fire station would be shared with the county to reduce the financial burden and to ensure that services are available county-wide.

“Sharing costs and resources with the county would improve emergency response and ensure that the fire department can handle the increasing demand more effectively,” added Price.

The Fort Dodge Fire Department is currently handling a significant workload. The department responded to 3,479 EMS calls and 4,852 calls last year, averaging 13.3 calls per day. This does not include their response to calls outside of city limits when rural agencies were unable to respond or needed support.

“This demonstrates the demand for both EMS and fire services within the county,” added Price.

Despite the growing number of emergency calls, the fire department has fewer resources now than they did in 2018 when the department was managing around 4,000 calls annually.

“Designating EMS as an essential service is critical not just for public safety, but for the continued success of Fort Dodge,” said City Manager David Fierke. “Securing funding for EMS ensures that the resources are in place to meet the growing demand for emergency services and guarantees that businesses and residents alike will have access to timely and effective emergency medical care when it is needed most.”

Fort Dodge Fire Rescue services more than just the city itself. The department responds to calls across the entire northern portion of Webster County including major highways like Highways 20 and 169 as well as the Gypsum City OHV Park, Dolliver Park, Lakeside Golf Course, Kennedy Park, Fort Dodge Regional Airport, and the Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex.

Without EMS services in the county, those areas would have no EMS coverage at all, leaving a gap in emergency response for residents, businesses, and tourists in those areas.

“We want to get an ambulance and our EMTs to a call as quickly as possible,” said Price.

The special election for EMS as an essential service is scheduled for March 4. Members of the EMS committee are encouraging residents to vote by absentee ballot given that Iowa weather in early March is rarely dry. Absentee ballots for the special election are now available at the Webster County Auditor’s Office at the Webster County Courthouse. The last day to vote in person at the Courthouse is March 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on March 4.