Hunter
09/19/23
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has approved supplementary funding to the county’s ambulance services, citing an increase in calls for service, among other factors.
The Daily Iowan reports Fiona Johnson, director of the ambulance department, said last week at a Board of Supervisors meeting that the increase is not a surprise. She said the change was a result of the program giving a 20 percent increase in staff wages, an extreme increase in the cost of medical supplies, and the cost of ambulance vehicles nearly doubling.
The additional funding, totaling $1.3 million, was approved at the end of the fiscal 2023 year ending this past June.
The department reported a 2.5 percent increase in calls for service from last year, and the Ambulance Service predicts an 8 to 9 percent increase in call volume in the upcoming year.
The county currently has four ambulances available for 24 hours, seven days a week, and six ambulances available for 16 hours, seven days a week.
