Leavenworth County OKs 120‑day extension in EMS service talks with Fort Leavenworth
December 31, 2025 | Leavenworth County, Kansas
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Leavenworth County commissioners voted to extend negotiations with Fort Leavenworth on a proposed emergency medical services (EMS) agreement by 120 days, with several commissioners saying the extension should be the final one.
The request came from a Fort Leavenworth representative addressed in the meeting as "the colonel," who told the commission the post had received the county's draft and returned questions on specifics including staffing composition, EMS training standards and billing arrangements. "I'm asking for 120 day extension," the colonel said, adding that final approval likely rests with a federal official in Washington, D.C., rather than the post commander.
Commissioners raised concerns about a pattern of rolling extensions and the county's costs. Commissioner Jeff noted the issue stretches back several years and said county taxpayers have been subsidizing ambulance service: "You guys are using the ambulance service that our taxpayers are paying for, and you guys aren't paying anything for it," he said. The colonel acknowledged the difficulty of guaranteeing success given federal rules and legal billing issues but said the post would continue to work with county staff.
A commissioner moved to extend the timeline by 120 days "with the intention that this be the final extension," and the motion carried on a 3–2 vote. Commissioners asked the colonel and staff to return with a status update at the commission's May 1 meeting.
While commissioners stressed the county's commitment to maintaining EMS coverage for residents, several also warned that creating the county's own service would be costly if no agreement is reached. The extension is explicitly a negotiation window, not an executed contract; county staff and the Fort's representatives will continue to work through federal billing, insurance reimbursement, and legal authority issues before any final agreement is signed.
The commission recorded the motion and voted to set the follow-up date; no additional contractual terms were approved at the meeting.
The request came from a Fort Leavenworth representative addressed in the meeting as "the colonel," who told the commission the post had received the county's draft and returned questions on specifics including staffing composition, EMS training standards and billing arrangements. "I'm asking for 120 day extension," the colonel said, adding that final approval likely rests with a federal official in Washington, D.C., rather than the post commander.
Commissioners raised concerns about a pattern of rolling extensions and the county's costs. Commissioner Jeff noted the issue stretches back several years and said county taxpayers have been subsidizing ambulance service: "You guys are using the ambulance service that our taxpayers are paying for, and you guys aren't paying anything for it," he said. The colonel acknowledged the difficulty of guaranteeing success given federal rules and legal billing issues but said the post would continue to work with county staff.
A commissioner moved to extend the timeline by 120 days "with the intention that this be the final extension," and the motion carried on a 3–2 vote. Commissioners asked the colonel and staff to return with a status update at the commission's May 1 meeting.
While commissioners stressed the county's commitment to maintaining EMS coverage for residents, several also warned that creating the county's own service would be costly if no agreement is reached. The extension is explicitly a negotiation window, not an executed contract; county staff and the Fort's representatives will continue to work through federal billing, insurance reimbursement, and legal authority issues before any final agreement is signed.
The commission recorded the motion and voted to set the follow-up date; no additional contractual terms were approved at the meeting.
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