Moses Lake likely eyeing contracted EMS services
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 9 months AGO
Moses Lake Fire Department staff are concerned about the possibility of the city contracting with an EMS provider which has the potential to cost firefighters with EMS certifications their jobs.
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Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | July 4, 2024 3:15 AM
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake City Council members may be considering eliminating the city-funded ambulance service and hiring a private contractor, according to a statement released by the Moses Lake Firefighters Local 1258.
“On June 26, I was informed that the city of Moses Lake had for the last several months been in communication with Lifeline Ambulance, a private ambulance company that currently is contracted to provide service to Grant County, regarding a proposal to begin operation within the jurisdiction of Moses Lake,” wrote Garrett Fletcher, president of the union.
Fletcher said council members are supposed to discuss the idea at a workshop prior to the July 9 regular meeting, but the council agenda had not been released as of Wednesday.
Contracting to another service could mean cutting up to 20 firefighters, he said. That amounts to about 40% of the department. Nine of those firefighters have been hired within the last three years with the help of federal grant funding, Fletcher said.
“The meetings were conducted without the invitation of any member of the Moses Lake Fire Department, including Fire Chief Brett Bastian,” Fletcher wrote.
Communications Director Lynne Lynch said city officials expected to finalize the July 9 agenda by Friday.
More information on this developing story will be published as it becomes available.
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