SANDPOINT — County commissioners approved a joint operations agreement with the city Tuesday to station a Bonner County EMS ambulance at the Sandpoint Fire Department.

“It represents a very important step forward,” Bonner EMS Chief Rob Wakeley told commissioners.

Under the temporary agreement, the city will provide three firefighters to staff the ambulance and housing for the rig. For its part, the county will station three of its emergency medical technicians at the fire department and cover fueling and medical supply costs.

The county currently stations two ambulances at its headquarters on McGhee Road in Kootenai.

One rig would continue to respond from Kootenai, while the other would be shifted to the fire department, but would still respond to calls outside the city.

“This solution spreads out the ambulances. The people in the city of Sandpoint have a closer ambulance and the people on the north side have a closer ambulance,” Wakeley said after the meeting.

During routine calls, one Bonner EMT and an EMT firefighter would respond from the fire department. A paramedic would respond from the Kootenai station if need be.

Wakeley is optimistic the arrangement with the city will eventually become permanent, although both sides would have to agree on a contract.

Wakeley said the plan developed through discussions with Sandpoint Fire Chief Robert Tyler, president of the Bonner County EMS Advisory Council.

“The chief and I use this phrase: If we’re going to have a contract and get married, we should date first. This (joint operations) agreement is the dating,” said Wakeley.

If the agreement endures and a contract is hammered out next fall, it could be the first time an ambulance has had a permanent home inside city limits since Big Sky Paramedics folded in 2004.

The withdrawal of Big Sky prompted the county to form an ambulance taxing district to create Bonner County EMS. The county has contracts with some, but not all, of the emergency service providers in the county.

“Up until now, I think people have thought about Bonner County EMS as a county department. Maybe legally it is, but more importantly it represents an EMS system, and there are a lot of members of that system,” Wakeley said.

The arrangement with the city has led to some Bonner County EMS workers to worry they’ll be out of a job.

“That’s just not going to happen,” Wakeley said, explaining that the county’s contract with the Bonner General Hospital for inter-facility transports will ensure staffing levels won’t be affected.

“The income from those transfers would be able to fund those salaries,” he said.