The Emergency Rescue Services in Panora and Stuart approached the Guthrie County Supervisors recently with a proposal to become an essential service in the county.

Panora EMS Director Joe Hupp says with a vote from the Supervisors to make EMS an essential service that will allow them to have an EMS tax levy measure for residents to vote in the November election, which that would need 60 percent to pass. Hupp explains both Panora and Stuart EMS’s budgets have been in the red and their sources of compensation have not been sufficient. 

“It’s getting to the point where with the rising costs of supply, the increase in demand and lack of volunteers, we just don’t have the budget to continue to sustain at this point in time. Stuart and Panora departments are basically running off the revenue they bring in from their ambulance calls and it’s not near enough.”

Hupp says Panora EMS covers 79 percent of the county along with Stuart EMS managing the other 21 percent. He states if they don’t get funding from the county, there will be many cutbacks within the departments.

“Basically go back to where we started just covering possibly Panora’s territory. We’re going to have to cut staff, we’re going to have to downsize. That’s probably where we’re going to go. I mean, right now, Panora, we have a over a $300,000 deficit with our budget in the city of Panora.”

Hupp says that the county funding will allow them to grow with more paid staff and cover the cost of new equipment. The Guthrie County Supervisors did not take action on this issue for further review of the proposal.