Voters approve creation of ambulance district in Jefferson County

RIGBY — Voters in Jefferson County approved a proposal to create a new ambulance district Tuesday.

The proposed ambulance district levy was approved in Tuesday’s municipal election with 62% of the vote (1,601 total votes). Thirty-seven percent of voters (959 total votes) were opposed to the measure. The ballot initiative creates a local ambulance district at a rate of .0004 or .04%, which amounts to $40 per $100,000 of property tax value. Annually, it will provide about $1.3 million for the operation of the ambulance district.

Nic White, the chief for Central Fire District in Jefferson County, tells EastIdahoNews.com that implementing a full-time ambulance district will benefit Jefferson County.

“It’ll make our response times better. Right now, we just provide basic life support services. With this district, we can now have paramedic-level ambulance services 24/7,” White says. “It’ll be a huge upgrade for Jefferson County.”

RELATED | Proposed ambulance district levy on the ballot in Jefferson County

The county will start collecting taxes for the ambulance district in January. The district will not go into effect until January 2027.

Central Fire District launched ambulance services about two years ago. They are currently funded out of the county’s general budget. The county also has a contract with the city of Idaho Falls to help with major emergencies.

Once the ambulance district is up and running, White says the contract with Idaho Falls will dissolve. Jefferson County will have a mutual aid agreement with the city going forward, meaning both entities will step in and help each other when needed.

White appreciates the community’s support of this levy and is grateful to those who voted on the measure.

“We appreciate all the support that was there,” he says.

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