Shoshone BOCC approves wage and radio funds

WALLACE — Last week, the Shoshone County commissioners met with Shoshone County Fire District No. 1 Chief John Miller and members of the Shoshone County Ambulance Service District to discuss a wage shortfall within the district.  

The districts are required to maintain a certain level of staffing, and personnel taking unexpected leave, along with an increase in service calls, meant the districts had to pay additional staff.

The commissioners decided to approve Miller's request for an additional $70,000 for department wages. According to Commissioner Jeff Zimmerman and interim clerk Peggy White, the funds will come from the county’s capital expense budget without the board needing to reopen the 2023/24 budget.  

Miller was thankful for the board’s decision and explained the current state of his staff, who have been exceptionally busy during the recent weeks and months.  

“We’ve had quite a bit of high-priority calls recently,” Miller said. “Our crews have remained pretty active. Summertime is not easy for any public entity or public service due to the influx of population, but our crews are working their tails off.”  

The board also approved just over $9,000 from the SCASD budget to purchase three encrypted radios for the medical transport teams to use.  

These encrypted radios operate on frequencies that can't be picked up by everyday scanners.

Aaron Cagle, the former SCFD No. 1 chief and member of the SCASD board, told the commissioners about a recent incident where an unencrypted radio led to the leak of private information about a patient being transported to Kootenai County.  

Miller followed Cagle, explaining the importance of quality communications equipment when transporting patients over Fourth of July Pass. 

“There’s been times when the radios either failed or we’ve had to call ahead on cellphones,” Miller said. “Half the time those calls don’t go through, but if we just show up at their door without letting them know ahead of time, there’s a lot of frustration.”  

Cagle said giving medical facilities like Kootenai Health or any of the hospitals in the Spokane area advance time to prepare for an incoming emergency can be the difference between life and death.