Glossary
[BETA CONTENT AND TOOLS]
911 Fees
- An 911 fee is a surcharge or fee that is added to a consumer’s phone bill in order to support the operation and maintenance of 911 emergency services. It’s important to understand counties can only use these fees for 911-related expenses – not emergency medical services.
- 911 and E911 Services [Federal Communications Commission]
Ambulance Fees
- An ambulance fee (“special emergency ambulance service fee”), not to be confused with a bill for using an ambulance, is essentially a tax imposed by counties that can only be used to help provide emergency medical services (EMS). They are generally flat, and most residential property owners pay roughly the same amount. Counties have generally billed the fee on a per household basis basis. Some counties have also opted to require businesses to pay as well. Ambulance fees can be imposed via county commission ordinance (in contrast to excess levies which require direct voter approval).
- §7-15-17. Imposition and collection of special emergency ambulance service fee by county commission [West Virginia Legislature]
Emergency Medical Services Salary Enhancement Fund (WV)
- A fund created by the state government to enhance the salaries for county emergency medical service personnel.
- Senate Bill 737 [West Virginia Legislature]
EMS WV: Answer the Call Initiative
- An initiative created by the state government, funded by federal CARES Act dollars, primarily designed to bolster West Virginia’s EMS workforce through training and education.
- Legislators Receive Update On EMS Recruitment Initiative [WV Public Broadcasting]
Excess Levies (WV)
- An excess levy is a property tax collected above the regular tax rate, generally providing financial support to local programs such as schools, EMS, fire departments, and public transit. Within a city or county, excess levies must typically be approved by a majority of voters, for a maximum term of five years.
- Excess Levy Guideline [WV State Auditor]
National and Systemic – EMS Reports and Resources
- Ambulance Deserts: Geographic Disparities in the Provision of Ambulance Services [Maine Rural Health Research Center]
- Characteristics and Challenges of Rural Ambulance Agencies – A Brief Review and Policy Considerations [Rural Policy Research Institute]
- Do Hospital Closures Affect Patient Time in an Ambulance? [Rural & Underserved Health Research Center]
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Home Rule State Law Fact Sheet [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
- EMS Services in Rural America: Challenges and Opportunities [National Rural Health Association]
- Rural Health: Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Trauma [Rural Health Information Hub]
- Rural EMS Workforce: A Call to Action [National Rural Health Association]
- Rural Volunteer EMS: Reports from the Field [University of North Carolina]
- States that Designate EMS as an Essential Service: Structure and Funding [Maine Legislature]
- Sustainable Rural EMS: Navigating Change [National Rural Health Resource Center]
State, Regional, and Local EMS
- An Assessment of Rural West Texas Emergency Medical Services [Texas Tech University]
- Analysis and Trends of the Minnesota EMS Workforce [Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board]
- Assessment of Emergency Medical Services in the State of Alaska [Alaska State Office of EMS – SafeTech Solutions]
- Blue Ribbon Commission to Study Emergency Medical Services in the State [State of Maine]
- Emergency Medical Services in California: Wages, Working Conditions, and Industry Profile [University of California Los Angeles – Labor Center]
- Emergency Medical Services in Montana: Crisis on the Horizon [Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services]
- EMS Needs Assessment [Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services]
- Recommendations for an Emergency Medical Services System in Summit County, Utah [SafeTech Solutions on behalf of Summit County, Utah]
West Virginia EMS – News
- America’s EMT Shortage Has Communities Relying on Unpaid Volunteers [Vice News via YoutTube]
- One ambulance, 7,000 people: West Virginia county votes on new EMS tax after budget cuts [Mountain State Spotlight]
West Virginia EMS – Reports, Resources, and Documents
- Call Volume by West Virginia County, October 2022 to October 2023 [DHHR-OEMS]
- EMS Minimum Staffing Requirements [DHHR-OEMS]
- Emergency Ambulance Service Act of 1975 [West Virginia Legislature]
- GASB 68 Schedules for Emergency Medical Services Retirement System (EMSRS) [West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board]
- Level Zero: Funding and Workforce Shortages Place EMS Response at Risk in the Mountain State [West Virginia EMS Coalition]
- Opinion of the Attorney General Regarding the Interpretation of WV State Code Chapter 7, Article 15 [West Virginia Attorney General]
- Report to the Tucker County Ambulance Authority and Tucker County Commission [West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council -Business Assistance Team]
- Tucker County Emergency Medical Services: Organizational Assessment Findings and Recommendations [J.R. Henry Consulting on behalf of the Tucker County Commission]
- West Virginia Emergency Medical Services: 5 and 10 Year Strategic Plan [West Virginia Legislature]
- West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services [DHHR-OEMS]
West Virginia Statewide Interoperable Radio Network (SIRN)
- The West Virginia Statewide Interoperable Radio Network (SIRN) is a communication infrastructure designed to facilitate interoperable communication among public safety and emergency response agencies across the state of West Virginia. It has been widely adopted by counties, state agencies, and some federal agencies for radio communication.
- Governance and Information [Statewide Interoperable Radio Network]