Park City Fire District Chief Bob Zanetti last August made a plea for independence, a move supported by the then-new North Summit Fire District chief but not the Summit County Council. However, the men may soon see their wish granted after more than a year of work.

The Summit County Council of Governments has had several discussions since April about the future of emergency medical services and what path officials should take. Now with a clear direction, County Manager Shayne Scott has been touring around the various municipalities and he has met with every city and town council to present a draft plan. 

Scott was in Coalville, Park City and Oakley in late August, and this week he made a stop in Henefer. 

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“What we’re trying to do is have an interlocal agreement with each of the fire districts to provide both fire and EMS services to the entire county,” he said. “Our interlocal agreement with North Summit, for example, would ask Coalville and Henefer to be signatories to the agreement … that says EMS is a responsibility we all have, and this is the way we acknowledge that what the county is proposing, is the way we want to do it as well.”

While the SafeTech Solutions assessment of the county’s EMS system determined services are underfunded, it stated the current model may be best because it did not consider a combination department with fire and medical services, which Zanetti and Nielson have said is the most common model. 

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The failure to factor in a fire-based EMS system led to a more than $10 million expense estimate, and both fire chiefs said they could run a more efficient operation for less than what the assessment anticipated. 

Scott said the study was helpful in realizing how much the county has underpaid in EMS, but officials have realized there might be additional costs in taking on the service themselves, which led them to stray from the SafeTech Solutions study.

Park City Fire is currently responsible for all ambulance services under the existing EMS system in Summit County which generates around $2.9 million in revenue from patient transports this year, with the majority of that coming from within Park City Fire District boundaries. 

The County Courthouse also provides a $1.8 million subsidy for Park City Fire to provide EMS services in eastern Summit County. SafeTech Solutions estimated the current gap between revenue and true expenses is $5.6 million.

But allowing firefighters to put out blazes and also perform medical duties could create a more equitable system by giving Park City and the Snyderville Basin as well as North and South Summit autonomy in the services they provide. Scott, as well as Zanetti and Nielson, affirmed this model works best. 

“I think the most exciting part, in my opinion, is the districts being able to run with the economies of scale and the cross-training opportunities and administration (between fire and EMS),” Scott said, adding that having more local control will also be important. “I think it will be a less expensive, more professional, safer service.”

Zanetti estimated the Option Z Model would cost $4.2 million for a “countywide basic” plan, which accounts for three ambulances, one in each area, as well as a paramedic rescue unit. 

Scott said the funding would come from the General Fund so everyone contributes the same amount, though fewer taxpayers live on the East Side. He was unsure of how much the 2024 budget would grow under the plan. Some estimates anticipate a $2.2 million increase for EMS transport and paramedic response.

It’s also expected a full-time system, rather than a volunteer model, will lead to tax increases. A nearly 300% tax increase was approved in the North Summit Fire District last year as a way to raise additional revenue and address persistent issues with staffing and equipment.

The Park City and North Summit fire districts are prepared to take on services in-house by January, and Scott anticipates a seamless transition. However, the South Summit Fire Protection District will likely need another year — but the level of service won’t change in the meantime.

The south side fire department serves Kamas, Francis and Oakley and is primarily staffed by volunteers, according to Scott. South Summit Fire will have to either acquire additional revenue to pay for its staff and ambulances or contract with one of the other fire departments to provide services until it can take them on. The fire district might also experience a period of change depending on the outcome of the board of commissioners’ election, though its current members appear to be in favor of the plan if they can increase funds.

Scott hopes to wrap up the EMS plan discussions this month. Then, the mayors will submit recommendations to the Summit County Council, which must approve the change before it becomes effective.