Camas, Washougal huddle on EMS service

Camas and Washougal city officials meet today behind closed doors in hopes of resolving conflict over ambulance service for area residents.

The 10 a.m. huddle at the Camas Public Library will include two city council members from each city, Washougal City Administrator Nabiel Shawa and Monte Brachmann, Camas public works director.

Brachmann will pinch-hit for Camas Administrator Lloyd Halverson, who is unavailable.

At issue: Whether Washougal can secure a permanent, city-based ambulance and find budget savings without dropping its 28-year joint ambulance agreement with Camas, which has provided service to both cities.

Closed to the public, the meeting was instigated by the Clark County Emergency Medical Service Administrative Board.

The EMS board last month declared it would recommend that county commissioners deny Washougal’s request to drop Camas’ service and join EMS District 2, unless the two sides first tried to talk out an alternate solution.

Several officials across Clark County have voiced worry that adding Washougal to EMS District 2 — which contracts with the private American Medical Response ambulance firm -- would stretch resources thin across much of the area.

Vancouver City Manager Pat McDonnell wrote county commissioners on Sept. 30 that Washougal’s becoming a “remote island” within District 2 could threaten coverage in east Vancouver (since AMR’s next-nearest ambulance is based off 164th Avenue).

Ultimately, the switch could undermine Camas’ own system, including the current East County Fire & Rescue service area outside city limits, McDonnell wrote.

“This outcome could significantly change the service area and likely require a renegotiation” of a contract, he wrote, “exposing the entire (District 2) system to potential cost increases or a public subsidy request.”

Washougal city council members voted Aug. 4 to give six months’ notice to Camas that it would drop the longtime joint EMS agreement. The city said joining District 2 would net the city its own ambulance and save taxpayers about $100,000 through a lower EMS tax levy rate.

The move caught Camas by surprise, and accusations flared.

To help grease today’s talks, neither Camas Mayor Paul Dennis nor Washougal Mayor Stacee Sellers will attend the meeting.

“There’s a lot of give-and-take that has to occur,” Dennis said on Thursday. He believes the joint pact can be saved, with commitment of one Camas ambulance to Washougal as previously offered, he said.

Any tentative deal would need to clear both city councils, which meet separately on Monday night, he said.

“I think we can get there. It’s a matter of walking through the details and trying to think of everything,” Dennis said.

Howard Buck: 360-735-4515 or howard.buck@columbian.com