After more than a year of community and legal conflict over the ambulance service provider for Morrow County, residents have a final answer for the next five years.
On Aug. 23, Morrow County leaders signed five-year ambulance service contracts for the southern and northeastern regions of the county, according to a press release from the county.
Morrow County Health District on Sept. 6 will take over ambulance coverage of the southern area, surrounding Heppner, and on Sept. 20 it will take over the northeastern area around Irrigon. The press release said the county recognizes the experience of the health district in providing ambulance service, as it has been the county’s sole provider since the mid-1990s, and “looks forward to a successful partnership going forward.”
The finalized contracts with the health district came just more than a month after the county awarded coverage for the northern region, in and around Boardman, to Boardman Fire Rescue District. Boardman Fire has been providing interim ambulance services throughout the county since March, but will be serving just the northern end of the county now that the other contracts have been finalized. According to the press release, Boardman Fire has operated as the full-time ambulance provider in that area since July 17.
Both organizations ready to move forward
During the signing, Board of Commissioners Chair David Sykes thanked those involved in finalizing the contract, the release said, including the health district.
“We got this done and it is done now,” Sykes said in the press release. “I’d like to see us all move on to establish the good working relations that are needed in Morrow County as we all pull together.”
According to the release, the changes to the Ambulance Service Plan — which the Oregon Health Authority approved earlier this year — and the new ambulance provider agreements will help Morrow County to “effectively respond, now and into the future, to the emergency response needs of its residents, businesses and visitors.”
“MCHD is excited to provide ambulance service again in the Southern and North East ambulance service areas,” CEO Emily Roberts said.
She added the health district is recruiting emergency medical technicians before restarting ambulance service in September.
Irrigon resident Stuart Dick was one of the faces of the recall effort against all three county commissioners. One reason for the recall vote, which failed in late July, was concern over the future of the health district.
“For right now, we’re very pleased,” Dick said about the contract. “We don’t know where it’s going in the end, though, because it’s only for a certain period of time.”
Dick said he is worried about what will happen when it comes time for the county to vote on whether to renew the Morrow County Health District local option tax levy.
County Administrator Matthew Jensen said the levy helps cover some of the cost of providing ambulance service, such as an emergency medical services director as well as the quick response teams.
However, he said Dick’s concern that a loss of funding will mean uncertainty for the health district is moot for now, as the levy’s expiration coincides with the ambulance service agreement contracts’ end on June 30, 2029.
Not happy with Boardman. I want the persons of Irrigon back. EMTS we know and trust.