(adapted
from Camas
Fire Department History)
1935
The Camas Fire Department (CFD) establishes the first
emergency
medical aid car in the State of Washington, serving a large area
that
stretches from what is known today as Cascade Park in Vancouver,
to
areas
within Skamania County.
1959
The Camas City Council votes to discontinue the CFD aid car
service,
citing the existence of a private ambulance company.
1962
The Camas City Council, after three years without
community-based EMS,
reverses the 1959 decision and reinstates the CFD aid car service.
1979
Following a study, a regional paramedic ambulance service for
east
Clark County is proposed at a cost of 25¢ per $1,000 on home
valuations. This first EMS levy is passed by voters in
Camas,
Washougal, Clark County Fire District #1 (CCFD1), and Clark County
Fire
District #9 (CCFD9).
1980
Following the successful passage of the EMS Levy, CFD hires
four
paramedics and commences providing Advanced Life Support (ALS)
ambulance
service to the greater east county community. Funds from the
EMS
levy are also passed through to the other agencies in the forms of
training, supplies and equipment. There are 831 ambulance
calls.
1982
The EMS Levy is renewed by all areas by a 91% margin.
1983
CFD hires a fifth paramedic. There are 850
ambulance
calls.
1987
Call volume is increasing, there are 1,160 ambulance calls.
1988
The EMS Levy is renewed by all areas by an 84% margin.
CFD hires
a sixth paramedic, and there are 1,169 ambulance calls.
1990
CFD hires a seventh paramedic, and there are 1,308 ambulance
calls. Camas also increases their full-time firefighting
staff and
is now able to ensure immediate response to all ambulance calls.
1991
CFD hires an eighth paramedic, and two paramedics on duty 24
hours a
day becomes standard. There are 1,399 ambulance calls.
1993
There are 1,930 ambulance calls, a 232% increase within
thirteen
years.
1994
The EMS Levy is renewed by all areas. CFD hires a ninth
paramedic to maintain service levels.
1997
CFD opens a second fire station to cover the Prune Hill area
annexed
into the City, and hires six more paramedics to staff an ambulance
in this
station, resulting in three ambulances staffed 24 hours a day.
1999
CFD adds a fourth ambulance, to ensure that three ambulances
remain in
service when one of the fleet is being serviced.
2000
The EMS Levy is renewed by all areas. There are 2,288
ambulance
calls. The first ambulance responded to 1,912 calls, the
second to
331, the third to 45, and the reserve ambulance responded to
3. Call
volume is up 275% since the program began twenty years ago.
2006
CCFD1 merges into CCFD9, and CCFD9 changes its name to East County
Fire & Rescue (ECFR). For the first time in the history of the EMS
Levy, the rate is increased from 25¢ to 35¢ per $1,000 on home
valuations
to cover rising costs of fuel, supplies, inflation, and unfunded
training mandates. ECFR voters fail to approve the increase, and CFD is
forced to begin full-rate billing on ECFR calls to cover the loss.
2008
CFD is forced to stop providing ambulance service into ECFR by
the end of the year if the EMS Levy is not restored in that area, due
to continuous financial losses serving an area that was not contributing to the source of funding. ECFR voters
reinstate the
levy with an approval rating of over 65%, and ambulance service to ECFR is continued without
interruption.
2009
There are 2,306 ambulance calls. The ambulance stationed in
downtown Camas responded to 1,133 calls, the ambulance stationed in
Washougal responded to 547 calls, the ambulance stationed in Grass Valley
responded to 458 calls, and the reserve ambulance stationed in downtown
Camas responded to 199 calls.
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