SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Boardman Fire requests support ambulance licensing First Remembrance 5K
-Continued from PAGE ONE ernment” and that, under ambulance service could legal counsel.
independent look at this,”
said Sykes.
Nelson said that when
he started delving into it,
he decided it would be more
appropriate to reach out to
counsel outside of the coun-
ty to try to find someone
who had more expertise in
the matter.
“For other counties,
even far larger than Morrow
County, they also, when
these questions come up,
work with outside counsel,”
said Nelson.
Nelson was direct-
ed toward attorney Bob
Blackmore. Blackmore has
worked with numerous mu-
nicipalities on Emergency
Medical Services (EMS)
and Ambulance Service
Area (ASA) issues and is
currently assisting Wasco
County with an EMS/ASA
issue.
Since Blackmore needs
time to review the docu-
mentation on the ASA issue,
Nelson informed Hughes
and Morrow County Health
District (MCHD) CEO Em-
ily Roberts on March 6
that counsel wouldn’t be
prepared March 15.
After that decision
was reached, the county
received a request from
Hughes to again be put on
the agenda—this time to
request a letter in support
of Boardman ambulance
licensing from the board of
commissioners.
Hughes stated at last
week’s meeting that, to
go through the ambulance
licensing process in the
state of Oregon, an entity
has to go before the county
commissioners and get a
letter of support as part of
the submittal of their ap-
plication.
“That letter can’t come
from anybody else but
the governing body,” said
Hughes.
Hughes stated before
the board that it would have
no impact on the coun-
ty’s ambulance system if
Boardman Fire Protection
District got licensed as an
ambulance service provid-
er. Hughes also said that
MCHD would continue
to operate as usual while
BFRD would provide ser-
vice to partnering agencies
such as the Oregon Military
Department and Umatilla
County Fire Department,
which would include oc-
casional interagency trans-
ports for Good Shepherd in
Hermiston.
“So there would be no
immediate impact on Mor-
row County as a licensing
agency,” said Hughes.
Hughes added that he
had gone to the Oregon
Health Authority and been
told that the only documen-
tation of need the county
had to provide was a letter
saying the BFRD could
seek licensing.
“That is the docu-
mentation,” said Hughes.
“They’re not looking for a
long, drawn-out, detailed
explanation.”
“That’s why we’re
here. We would like to
license our ambulances. It
will have no impact on the
county whatsoever because
we’re not part of the ASA
now. What we’re asking
is no different that PGE.
They’re going to be asking
for a letter of support, too,”
he added. “Basically, we’re
asking for the same kind
of consideration, which is
something that this govern-
ing body does on a regular
basis, these letters of sup-
port, and that’s what we’re
here today to ask for.”
In her response, Rob-
erts noted that the Oregon
Administrative Rule (OAR)
states that ambulance li-
cense applicants needed to
establish “a documented
need for the service sup-
ported by the county gov-
MC-C-4-98, no ambulance
can operate in Morrow
County that is not incorpo-
rated into the ASA system.
She also said the ordinance
charges the EMS advisory
committee with making de-
terminations about changes
or additions to the ASA
plan.
“So that would be the
more appropriate group
to hear this request,” said
Roberts. “And a formal
request in writing with
explanations has not been
brought to them that I’m
aware of.”
Roberts also stated that
the health district had no is-
sue with Boardman Fire op-
erating in Umatilla County,
but that would require being
in Umatilla County’s ASA
and working with Umatilla
County agencies.
“That wouldn’t be
something that Morrow
County should involve
themselves in,” Roberts
said. “And I know that our
attorney did provide some
legal opinion to county
counsel about risks to the
county if the county were
to get involved in issues that
really related to Umatilla
County.”
Roberts referred to a
letter from MCHD attorney
Troy Bundy. “If the BOCC
wishes to take these kinds
of determinations out of
the hands of those direct-
ed under the law, then the
BOCC must first change
the state of the law and de-
cide that it, rather than the
Advisory Committee, is in
the best position to make
these health care determi-
nations…” the letter stated.
“However, at present, the
BOCC is respectfully not
in a position, as a matter
of fact and law, to declare
that Morrow County has a
documented need for more
ambulances.”
Roberts said she sug-
gested if the board of com-
missioners had questions
about what OHA needed
or required, they should get
that straight from OHA. “I
don’t think you should get
that from myself or Chief
Hughes,” she said.
“We understand the
process that Emily was
talking about,” responded
Hughes. “AMR, MetroWest
could apply to run ambu-
lance services in this county
tomorrow because they’re
licensed in the State of
Oregon.
“We can’t go anywhere.
We can’t ask anybody to do
anything without being li-
censed,” he added. “We’re
very clear that, if we’re
licensed tomorrow, we can-
not operate an ambulance
outside the ASA. That’s
not what we’re asking for.
We’re asking, simply, to let
us go through the licensing
process.”
Hughes further said that
BFRD’s intergovernmental
agreement with UCFD has
nothing to do with their
ASA and that Boardman
Fire would not become part
of their ASA.
“The law as it stands
does not allow the board
of commissioners to make
the determination, because
a previous board of com-
missioners delegated that
to the advisory committee,”
responded Roberts. “Like it
or not, that is the way that
the law stands right now.”
Morrow County Com-
missioner Jeff Wenholz
said he had consulted with
Nelson and Morrow County
Interim Administrator Ro-
berta Vanderwall regarding
whether the board of com-
missioners could provide a
letter of support for Board-
man Fire getting licensing
for the specific purposes
Hughes mentioned.
Nelson said he had
reached out to the OHA,
which had said a licensed
provide services in any
county as long as they were
not violating an existing
ASA. Most of the time,
there would be some kind
of mutual aid agreement or
contract with the hospital
for interfacility transports.
“The letter from Chief
Hughes isn’t that specific,”
said Sykes. “It doesn’t talk
about work outside the
county.”
“I don’t think there’s
any question; I think we
all know that they can’t
operate in Morrow County
without being part of the
ASA,” said Wenholz. “I
think the question before
us is, will we write a letter
in support of them seeking
a license from OHA with
the understanding that they
won’t at this point do any
transports within Morrow
County without being part
of the ASA?”
“I guess my question
would be, why do we write
a letter for them to operate
outside Morrow County?”
asked Sykes. “If they want
to operate in Umatilla, why
wouldn’t they go to the
Umatilla County commis-
sioners and say, ‘Hey, write
us a letter in support of
us operating in Umatilla
County? Why are we even
involved?”
“From my perspective,
it’s because they’re based
in our county,” replied
Wenholz. “Ultimately the
decision going to be with
OHA.”
“Our goal is to get li-
censed. We’re based in
Morrow County,” said
Hughes. “My goal is also
that, if the health district
finds themselves in need
of an ambulance, instead
of calling Gilliam County,
because we’re licensed,
they can request us for
mutual aid because we’re
licensed in the state.“If we
were in Umatilla County, I
wouldn’t be talking to you,
but we’re based in Morrow
County.”
“But now you’re saying
you might operate in Mor-
row County?” Sykes asked.
Hughes replied that
there was a possibility
BFRD might operate on a
military base in Morrow
County, which was another
reason he needed the Mor-
row County Commissioners
to provide the letter.
“Yes, we will provide
services technically in Mor-
row County but on gov-
ernment entities,” Hughes
added.
“There’s enough gray
area in this whole thing. I
think it is connected to the
ASA. I think that needs to
be settled first,” said Sykes.
““If that isn’t a valid ordi-
nance, then it needs to be re-
done, and that’s where these
things could be worked
out.” He added that that the
commission had heard from
both sides and now needed
to get its own independent
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“Would you be willing
to wait until we get that,
and then we can consider
moving forward?” he asked
Hughes.
Hughes said he saw the
ordinance, ASA and letter
of support as three different
issues needing three differ-
ent decisions.
“I can’t even apply to
the ASA without a license.
I’m in a catch-22,” said
Hughes. “The fact that
we’re being held back on
improving our organiza-
tion, that’s the frustration
for me,” he added.
“I don’t look at it as
being held back. I look
at it as going through the
proper process,” responded
Sykes. “I think they’re tied
together.”
“If you write a letter
to OHA, you are certifying
that there is documented
need,” replied Roberts. “If
you assert that and it’s not
true, I would think that that
would be problematic. If
you assert that for another
county where you don’t
know if that’s true, I would
think that that would be
problematic.”
“Once again I would
say it needs to go back to
Umatilla County, it needs
to involve legal counsel,
and where there’s a ques-
tion about what OHA says,
it should be resolved by
OHA, not any of us,” said
Roberts.
“I’m not against wait-
ing until we get counsel,”
said Morrow County Com-
missioner Roy Drago, Jr.
“I do believe that there is a
need. I could give several
examples of my own. But
I don’t understand the le-
galities.”
“Once again, we’re
hearing too many different
stories for me to make a
decision on what is right
and what is wrong,” Drago
added.
The board voted to ta-
ble the request for a letter
of support until the April
5 meeting. However, this
week the Gazette-Times
learned that the Morrow
County Health District has
scheduled a hearing con-
cerning alleged violations
of the ASA plan by Board-
man Fire. The hearing will
take place May 12 at 1 p.m.
in Boardman. In the hearing
notice, MCHD indicated it
would pursue legal action
if the issue could not be
solved at the hearing.
timed run sees good turnout
Top four finishers (L-R) Jacob Finch, Gage Hart, Trevor
Nichols and Hunter Nichols. -Photo by Tylynn Cimmiyotti
L-R: Trevor, Madelyn, Lily and Hunter Nichols, first place
finishers in their age groups. -Photo by Tylynn Cimmiyotti
Pictured are all awarded finishers who were still present to
receive medals (L- R): Alaina Lemmon, Russ Nichols, Jay
Hooson, Dwight French, Hunter Nichols, Madelyn Nichols,
Lily Nichols, Trevor Nichols, Gage Hart, Jacob Finch, Lizzie
Ginn, Lincoln Ellsworth, Mikalie Duncan, Ella Mullins and
Charlie Mullins. -Photo by Tylynn Cimmiyotti
The 2023 Remem-
b r a n c e Wa l k / 5 K R u n
saw what may be a re-
cord-breaking turnout, and
the event’s first competitive
run was also a success, with
45 runners registering for
the timed 5K run.
Winners are as follows:
Overall Male: Hunter
Nichols, 15:47
Overall Female: Made-
lyn Nichols, 21:01
Female 13 & Under:
1. Ella Mullins, 2. Mikalie
Duncan, 3. Lizzie Ginn
Male 13 & Under: 1.
Charlie Mullins, 2.
Lincoln Ellsworth, 3. Son-
ny Matheny
Female 14-19: 1. Lily
Nichols, 2. Ariana Worden,
3. Irelynn Kollman
Male 14-19: 1. Trevor
Nichols, 2. Gage Hart, 3.
Jacob Finch
Female 20-29: 1. Mad-
elyn Nichols, 2. Tonita
Britt, 3. Callahan Britt
Male 20-29: 1. Hunter
Nichols
Female 30-39: 1. Am-
ber Schlaich
Male 30-39: 1. Stefan
Matheny
Female 40 & Older:
1. Petra Payne, 2. Alaina
Lemmon, 3. Janelle Ellis
Male 40 & Older: 1. Jay
Hooson, 2. Russ Nichols, 3.
Dwight French