Kossuth County accepts Feld Fire bid for ambulance; EMS budget and volunteer pay changes debated

The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors accepted a bid from Feld Fire Equipment of Carroll, Iowa, to supply a new gas-powered ambulance and spent an extended portion of the meeting reviewing the EMS budget and proposed pay changes for volunteer and part-time staff.

During a public procurement review, EMS staff reported four bids from Emergency Vehicles Plus (Holland, Mich.), Emergency Vehicles (different brand), Feld Fire Equipment (Carroll, Iowa) and Lifeline Emergency Vehicles (Prole, Iowa). After confirming specifications, a supervisor moved to accept Feld Fire's written bid of $319,705; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Board discussion then focused on the EMS operating budget, which EMS leadership presented as a proposed $2,301,920 budget. Staff proposed a 3% increase to full-time wages and recommended raising volunteer/call-in hourly pay to match full-time rates (for example, proposed full-time and volunteer parity with a $21.29 hourly rate for certain roles). EMS leadership argued that higher volunteer pay could reduce overtime and increase shift coverage, especially for late-night or long-distance transports.

The board debated the size of the equipment replacement line, with the EMS manager initially proposing a large equipment line to balance revenues (item cited around $92,955) and other members recommending a smaller, more conservative amount (discussed range $70,000'$80,000). Supervisors also discussed creating a capital improvements fund to smooth future large purchases (ambulances, monitors, building work) rather than adding one-off increases to operating budgets.

The motion to award the ambulance contract was recorded as carried by voice vote; the transcript does not provide a roll-call tally. The board directed staff to prepare final sign-off documents and to verify final bid paperwork and pricing before vendor invoicing and delivery. EMS staff noted ARPA and FY budget sources already allocated to vehicle purchases and advised the board on timing for delivery and spending.