By Jeniffer Graham
The Dominion Post
KINGWOOD, W.Va. — An emergency request by EMS Director Henry McDonald from KAMP ambulance for $11, 616 to pay vehicle insurance for 2026 was not met with immediate approval. McDonald told Preston County commissioners during their regular meeting Tuesday that funds for the ambulance squad are still about 90 days out. He said that was normal for Medicare payments.
KAMP is the primary responder in the county.
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“We need to keep people’s funding in mind, " Commission President Hunter Thomas said. “Is this a short-term or a long-term fix ? We need to sit down with KAMP and discuss their current state and how we can work together.”
He said commissioners need to look at a long-term solution.
“We need to have a deeper conversation with Pam (Pam Thomas, president of KAMP Ambulance) and see what we need to go on, " Commissioner Samantha Stone said.
“Right now would be a good time to talk with KAMP’s Board of Directors, " Thomas said.
During an October meeting, McDonald first told commissioners that county EMS services were having difficulties meeting payroll because of the federal government shutdown and Medicare funding taking longer than usual.
West Virginia Code 7-15-4, “Except as hereinafter provided and in addition to all other duties imposed upon it by law, the county commission shall cause emergency ambulance service to be made available to all the residents of the county where such service is not otherwise available: Provided, however, That the duty imposed upon county commissions by this article shall not be construed in such manner as to impose a duty to cause such emergency ambulance service to be provided unless the commission shall make an affirmative determination that there are funds available therefore by the inclusion of a projected expenditure for such purpose in the current levy estimate, and in the event that such county commission shall make such determination the commission shall not be under a duty to cause such service to be provided beyond a level commensurate with the amount of funds actually available for such purpose.”
The county is currently working on a EMS ordinance that would charge every homeowner and business owner with an EMS fee of $150 per living unit per fiscal year. McDonald said the currently work is being done on deciding a fee for local businesses, and what to charge if a business owner has more than one business in the county.
No further action was taken.
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