Community members are collecting signatures of Grundy County registered voters for a petition to put a measure on the November ballot that would establish an ambulance district for the county.
Jenny Hunter is employed full-time with Grundy County Ambulance.
She says the Grundy County Ambulance service is one of three ambulance services in Missouri that is county-led. Grundy County Ambulance held a public meeting with the Grundy County Commission in May to let the public know of issues with the ambulance service. One of those issues is being short-staffed.
ALS stands for advanced life support.
Hunter says one of the biggest issues regarding pay is ambulance employees cannot receive a raise without other county employees receiving a raise.
Ambulance employees have to carry a state license and maintain it. Hunter explains that involves updating the national registry every two years and submitting required continuing education every five years.
She emphasizes that she does not want to degrade anyone, but ambulance employees have a lot of responsibilities courthouse employees do not have.
Hunter reports EMTs start at $11.30 per hour, and paramedics start at $14 per hour.
She says the biggest reason for the petition to establish an ambulance district is to get pay raised to draw in people, have quality staff, staff ambulances needed, and possibly go back to being able to call in a third crew.
Hunter does not expect any major changes in the daily running of the ambulance if an ambulance district was established.
Hunter reports there is a half-cent sales tax in place to benefit the Grundy County Ambulance, which was put into place in 1988. She explains it did not go through as an ambulance tax, and it is just a general revenue tax, which means the county can use it for whatever it sees fit.
She says some people have suggested attempting to repeal the tax and put it into place for an ambulance district, but when forming an ambulance district, half of a percent sales tax can be imposed without voter approval. The ambulance district would be looking for tax money to come in to help get started at a minimum.
Hunter says when the ambulance service had full staff in the past, and it was able to run all trips it was used to, the ambulance seemed to be fairly self-sufficient.
Hunter notes an ambulance district can choose to have a tax levy of no more than 30 cents, but that is not necessarily what Grundy County Ambulance would be looking for at this time.
Her understanding is that if an ambulance district is approved, it would go into effect on January 1st.
Hunter says what the ambulance service wants with the petition is to present information to the public, county taxpayers, and voters between now and the November election to let them make an informed decision. She reports the petition needs about 600 signatures before it is submitted to the Grundy County Clerk’s Office and signatures can be certified. The deadline to submit the signatures is July 15th.
Some people plan to go door to door to collect signatures.
Anyone wanting more information on the establishment of a Grundy County Ambulance District can contact Jenny Hunter or Ambulance Director Sarah Porter. Hunter adds the Grundy County Commission can also be contacted for information on funding and other specifics to do with the ambulance.
