Levy required to save ambulance service

Grant County Fire District No. 13 needs funding for 2009

EPHRATA - Without a levy approved Nov. 4, Grant County Fire District No. 13 will no longer be able to provide ambulance service outside of Ephrata.

If the levy fails, there is no ambulance service in the fire district 13 coverage area, Grant County Fire District 13 Commissioner John Heston said.

The coverage area is 118 square miles of Grant County surrounding the City of Ephrata. The fire district services more than 2,000 people. An ambulance is stationed in Ephrata from Grant County Fire District No. 5 to serve the district 13 residents.

The proposed levy is 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value for six years, according to the fire district. The 25 cents would be in addition to the 87 cents per $1,000 already collected.

Fire district 13 currently collects taxes for fire protection services only. The 25-cent increase would be paid to Grant County Fire District No. 5 for ambulance service.

Fire district 5 gave notice to fire district 13 advising them the ambulance service would be discontinued Dec. 31 if a new contract is not reinstated with payment.

"If there was any other way to fund this ambulance service without asking the voters, then we would have chosen that route," Grant County Fire District 13 Board President Allen Sieverkropp stated.

Residents have used the service for the past four years, according to the statement. Previously, the service was funded by patient billing but expenses increased leading to the need for the levy.

"The fire district has spent the past five years working to modernize the fire district by updating the apparatus, protective clothing, equipment and the addition of several volunteers at no cost to the taxpayers," according to the statement. "This is to enable the district to provide the best service possible to all residents."