Iola is terminating its contract with Allen County to provide countywide ambulance services, in an attempt to get county commissioners to return to the bargaining table.
City Council members voted unanimously Monday to enact a termination clause, which nixes the contract on Aug. 1, six months from now.
In a statement after the 8-0 city vote, Mayor Steve French spelled out Iola’s issues that make the existing contract “untenable,” including inadequate funding from the county, and the requirement that the city be capable of providing two out-of-county ambulance transfers simultaneously.
“The decision to terminate the current contract is not a decision made lightly,” French said, noting county leaders have twice rebuffed city overtures to renegotiate over the past five months.
“The next step is to present a new contract to the county commissioners to consider that will increase the funding amount and will give the contractual flexibility for the city to continue providing EMS service to the citizens of Allen County,” French said.
AMBULANCE service has been an ongoing issue between Iola and Allen County for more than a generation, and the most recent pact hammered out in late 2021 is no exception.
French cited three constraints “that the city can no longer abide by.”
The biggest one is the county’s annual stipend to the city. The county will give Iola $1.691 million this year for EMS, a figure that will increase by 2.5% annually through the duration of the five-year contract, which expires in 2027.
French noted that in October, the city voted to split its EMS and fire services because of low staffing levels and ongoing difficulties in attracting new employees.
City planners determined the cost of an EMS-only service would cost closer to $1.945 million, or about $254,000 more than what the county paid.
“The Iola City Council does not believe the deficit should be shouldered entirely by the citizens of Iola,” French said.
The second constraint centers on the requirement for two out-of-county transfers at the same time.
The provision has led to as many as six transfers in a day, requiring the city to have personnel awake for up to 24 hours straight, French said, and leaving the Humboldt and Moran stations unstaffed during those times.
“Simply put, this workload is unsustainable,” French said.
Thirdly, the county’s annual stipend increase pales in comparison to current inflation rates, French noted, which means the cost for fuel and supplies for the ambulances has skyrocketed. Each year under the old contract will widen the operations deficit, French warned.
