City keeping ambulance service

Kalispell has decided to keep its ambulance service.

Fire Chief Dan Diehl said Tuesday that even with the layoff of seven firefighters, the fire department will have enough firefighters to run the ambulance service.

If the city goes forward with the planned layoffs of seven firefighters on May 15, the fire department will still have 23 firefighters, Diehl said. That’s the same number they had when he came on board in April 2005. Diehl started as an assistant chief and became chief in 2008.

The layoffs would result in seven firefighters per platoon, as opposed to the 10 they currently have in the three-platoon schedule. Two firefighters would work as “floaters,” filling in when other firefighters have scheduled sick, comp or vacation time.

Diehl said the reduction in force will not hurt the community because the 911 dispatch center that opened last year immediately dispatches the next available ambulance if Kalispell is responding to a call already. That didn’t happen prior to the 911 center opening, he said.

In addition, there are more ambulance service providers in Flathead County than there were in 2005, Diehl said. West Flathead Emergency Medical Service and Evergreen Fire Rescue were not providing ambulance service at that time. Both respond to advanced and basic life-support service calls. West Valley Fire Department is another resource. It responds to basic life-support calls only.

“We were doing everything from Creston to Marion to Lakeside [in 2005],” he said.

Kalispell wants to keep its ambulance service because it’s a good service and it’s providing revenue, Diehl said.

Reporter Caleb Soptelean may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at csoptelean@dailyinterlake.com.