Fire District No. 3 runs levy renewal

Joins with Quincy hospital to fund emergency services

QUINCY - Fire District No. 3 is asking voters to approve the renewal of an expiring 6-year Emergency Medical Services levy.

The proposed levy rate on the November ballot is 38 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, which amounts to an increase of 13 cents.

"It's a renewal with a slight increase," said Fire Chief Don Fortier.

In a contract with Quincy Valley Medical Center, the fire district agreed to share levy funds with the hospital so it can keep its ambulance service running.

Fortier said $100,000 per year would go to the hospital, and $144,000 per year would go to the fire district.

The services complement one another rather than compete with each other, he said.

"It takes both agencies to really do the job efficiently and effectively," he said.

Fortier said by voting to renew the levy, the fire district and citizens can help keep the hospital's ambulance service going.

The needs of the fire district are met with the $144,000 portion of the levy, he said.

Funding from the levy goes toward basic life support, Fortier said. All fire engines in the district's seven stations are licensed aid vehicles. They include equipment such as automated defibrillators. A rescue truck in Quincy and fire engine in George hold "jaws of life" tools, which can open vehicles in the event of a collision.

"This is not a new tax," Fortier emphasized. "This is a renewal of an existing tax with a slight increase."

The hospital district lost reimbursement it was receiving through a Medicare critical access hospital program. Medicare auditors required the hospital pay back $300,000 in reimbursement after discovering the nearest ambulance service was in Wenatchee, less than 35 miles from the hospital.

Faced with a bill from Medicare, in need of a new ambulance and wanting to maintain employee training, the hospital district initially planned to run a levy of its own. Staff learned running such a levy would be impossible because the district overlaps with Fire District 10, which is already collecting on a levy.

Quincy Valley Medical Center voted in July to support the Fire District No. 3 levy, after the two entities reached an agreement.