Most of Idaho’s emergency medical services rely entirely on volunteers and don’t have enough resources to meet the needs of their communities, according to a new report from the state’s Office of Performance Evaluations.
Just 18% of EMS directors reported that their agency is able to maintain sufficient staff, according to the report released Friday, and 65% said they experienced delayed emergency response times because of staffing problems within the last year.
Under state law, emergency medical services aren’t considered “essential,” so there is no guarantee that every community will have access to ambulances or paramedics in an emergency. Across Idaho, EMS programs are run by a variety of entities — including private organizations, fire departments, local governments and other groups — using a patchwork of funding.