EMS Levy supports all fire departments

My name is Wood Weiss and I am the Chief of Skagit Fire District 13. Recently people have been asking me about the upcoming ballot measure for the countywide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy renewal. I thought it might help to clarify who we are as a fire district and how the EMS levy impacts us and the people we serve.

Our district provides Fire and EMS protection for a 71 square mile area, which includes the Swinomish Tribal Reservation (Tribal village, Shelter Bay, Snee Oosh beach area, Casino), farmlands east of the Swinomish channel, Summit Park and basic life support transport as a partner in the county-wide coordinated EMS system which includes the Town of La Conner.

Since we are an EMS transport provider in Skagit County we receive funding from the EMS levy through a contract with Skagit County. The funds are used to assist us in many ways including aiding us with the purchase of medical supplies, apparatus, ambulance upkeep, EMT training, testing and overall EMS quality assurance.

Over the last three years District 13 has responded to well over 3,000 EMS based calls and transported close to 900 patients to area hospitals. In addition, we have the only rural based CARES (Community Assistance Referral and Education Service) program in the county approved by Skagit County EMS and the EMS physician medical program director.

In the last four years, call volumes have increased by 25% countywide, which is primarily due to the area’s growth and aging population. In 2023, provider agencies responded to more than 18,000 calls and provided more than 9,200 ambulance transports to area hospitals. As a result, costs for medical supplies, fuel, equipment, personnel and ambulance replacements have increased.

The countywide EMS levy must be renewed every six years to continue funding 24/7 EMS response and asks the voters to approve the EMS levy renewal at $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value (the maximum is $0.50 per $1,000). The EMS levy was last renewed by voters in 2018 at $0.44. Since then, the rate has dropped to $0.30 due to rising property values.

According to Skagit County EMS, the levy renewal would cost the owner of a $555,000 home (median assessed value) an additional $94.35 per year or $7.87 per month for 24-hour EMS response.

The $0.17 levy rate increase will fund:

-Paramedics and EMTs

-Medical education and training

-Fuel

-Equipment

-Ambulance maintenance and replacement

-Medical supplies

According to Skagit County EMS, the $0.15 levy rate increase is sufficient to continue funding 24-hour EMS response and manage higher call volumes and costs. Learn more at www.skagitcounty.net/emslevy.