JEFFERSON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — Election day is tomorrow, and voters in Jefferson County will need to make a decision if they want a new ambulance service.
Jefferson County currently has only one ambulance district—in Mud Lake.
“We are trying to create an ambulance district here for Rigby, Ririe, Menan, Lewisville…All those areas not covered by the fire district in Mud Lake,” said Retired Fire Chief for Central Fire District, Carl Anderson.
Right now, when areas like Rigby need an ambulance, it often comes all the way from the south side of Idaho Falls. The trip to Rigby can take around half an hour. If there are ambulances on hand in the area, people could be taken to the hospital much faster.
“Not only are we going to have advanced paramedic trained people…we’ll have the medications that will go along with that, and we will also have an advanced life or an ALS ambulance equipped with all that advanced stuff as well,” said Retired Deputy Chief at Central Fire District, Todd Stowell.
If a new ambulance district is created, full-time emergency responders will be on-hand in the Rigby area. That will mean less stress on volunteer first responders, which are getting harder to recruit.
Stowell says some locals are worried about taxes going up if this levy passes. But if Jefferson County gets its own ambulance district, it won’t have to pay to use ambulances from Idaho Falls anymore.
“We are going to have to bring in this new district, which is going to add more money to our tax line on our statements, but it’s not going to be that much.”
Stowell expects a total of taxes going up by $40 for every $100,000 estimated property value.
If the levy passes, Jefferson County could have its own ambulances ready to go by January 2027. That’s why this levy is on the ballot now.
