The Grays Harbor Emergency Medical and Trauma Care Council — a non-profit organization that is the only provider of Emergency Medical Services training to county first responders — is facing a funding crisis after key decisions have placed the financial future of the organization in doubt.

GHEMS has provided emergency medical service training to county first responders since 1983 and has been funded through the Grays Harbor County Transit Authority pursuant to its statutory authority to provide ambulance services. But that changed back in March after an annual audit by the state Auditor’s Office determined the process was not legal, and GHEMS administrators have been scouring ever since to find a solution.

GHEMS membership is made up of representatives from local fire departments and districts, law enforcement, emergency services, hospitals and interested citizens and works under the guidance of a volunteer board and council and Medical Program Director, Dr. Julie Buck.

Having nearly run out of funding options, GHEMS now turns to the community for assistance.

“We’re reaching out to the public now to create public awareness of where we are at,” said GH Fire District 2 Deputy Chief and GHEMS Vice Chair Frank Scherer, who added that while the organization has received support from multiple benefactors to “stay alive,” it is at an important juncture if it is to remain sustainable through 2021.

A plan to have the county step in and to allocate funds under the public safety sales tax fell through when county attorneys “didn’t feel comfortable” that GHEMS met the intent of the tax due to being designated as a fire service and not a fire/EMS service.

Scherer stated GHEMS is working with the county in hopes that the state Legislature will address the limitations on the Public Safety Tax “to get some of the verbiage changed.”

“But right now,” he said. “We are at a critical pass. … Grays Harbor EMS and the training center is in jeopardy right now. … I want to make the public aware we have some hurdles to get through.”

If the legislative route doesn’t pan out, Scherer said the county could lose its ability to train first responders, putting the onus on local municipalities to do so. He added that while losing GHEMS would have a broad impact across the county, the areas that would take the brunt of the blow would be rural communities that likely can’t afford the increased costs.

“The cities already get funding through public safety sales tax and they will have to contribute more (of that tax) to their training,” Scherer said of the potential impact to the county if GHEMS closes its doors. “But this has more of an effect on the rural fire districts — Wishkah, Humptulips, Arctic — they don’t have a lot of money so they rely on Grays Harbor EMS to provide them training and keep all their records.”

Now, GHEMS is just about out of ideas.

“We’re not left with a whole lot of options going into 2021. We have some funds to kick the year off, but with no funding coming in, it’s going to diminish,” Scherer said. “We’re always looking for solutions but in the last several years we haven’t come up with a sustainable solution.”

In a press release, GHEMS asked the citizens of Grays Harbor County “that consideration be given to making donations directly to GHEMS. Citizens are also encouraged to contact their elected state representatives to ask them to support the county’s proposed legislative change that will help provide financial support to this critical service.”

Donations can be mailed to Grays Harbor EMS & Trauma Care Council, 2421 Sumner Avenue, Aberdeen, WA 98520.

For more information or to provide feedback, contact 360-310-0771 or 360-273-5876.