Voters overwhelmingly said they want their emergency medical services provided by paramedics Tuesday, with Clark County Fire District 6’s EMS levy proposition gaining nearly 79 percent yes votes and Washougal’s gaining 73 percent yes votes.
“That was huge for us,” Chief Jerry Green of Fire District 6 said Tuesday night.
District 6 protects a large area of western Clark County including Hazel Dell, Lake Shore, Salmon Creek, Felida and north to the Fairgrounds area.
“It definitely tells us we’ve been doing a good job all along with our total EMS program,” Green added.
District 6 officials had repeatedly warned residents that failing to support the levy likely would mean layoffs of firefighter-paramedics — and the end of advanced life support — leaving just basic life support provided by emergency medical technicians with far less training and fewer abilities to save lives.
“It was not a scare tactic,” Green said Tuesday night. “It just was the truth.”
District 6 officials took their message to the public in a big way before Tuesday’s election, with several open houses at fire stations and a number of presentations, to the Hazel Dell/Salmon Creek Business Association, a Lions Club, elderly voters and more.
Voters renewed the levy rate at 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value for the next six years, the same rate voters approved six years ago.
Because of shifting property values, however, the district is receiving 39.4 cents per $1,000 for 2010.
Washougal returns
In Washougal, voters also renewed paramedic EMS services, at the same rate that’s currently authorized, 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, for the next six years.
Of the 50 cents, 35 cents go for paramedic first responders and ambulance service, which is provided under contract by the Camas Fire Department, including an ambulance based in Washougal for fast response and more based in Camas.
The other 15 cents per $1,000 go to the Washougal Fire Department, supporting two Washougal firefighters and helping to enable rapid first response as support for ambulance paramedic crews.
Voters had approved the levy for more than 30 years, officials said.
Both the Washougal and District 6 propositions needed 60 percent yes votes to pass.
John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.
