09-22-2026 Board of Supervisors had a work session to discuss the EMS Advisory positions. After a lengthy discussion they will look to approve the following positions at the October 6 BOS Meeting.
Application to fullfill an At-Large member spot can be found here.
09-16-2026 Jasper County is looking for a citizen who wants to have a voice in the future of EMS in our county.
The Jasper County Board of Supervisors is accepting applications for an at-large public member to serve on the Jasper County EMS Advisory Committee. This will be an important committee as we take a hard look at the future of EMS in Jasper County, including funding, sustainability, service expectations, and how we continue providing emergency medical services throughout our communities.
You do not need to be an EMT or paramedic to apply. In fact, we want the at-large position to bring another perspective to the table. Backgrounds in healthcare, finance/accounting, business, public administration, farming, or other areas that could contribute to the discussion are encouraged.
This is an unpaid public-service position, and we are looking for someone willing to attend meetings, ask questions, look objectively at the information presented, and help us work through some difficult decisions. The Board of Supervisors will make the final appointment after reviewing the applications.
Interested Jasper County residents can complete the application by clicking here,EMS Application and return it to:
Jasper County Emergency Management
1030 W. 2nd St. S.
Newton, IA 50208
Applications can also be emailed to em@jasperema-hls.org
Or click HERE to fill out the application online.
Questions? Give us a call at 641-792-7555.
This is your opportunity to have a seat at the table and help shape the future of EMS in Jasper County
09-16-2026 We met with the BOS yesterday to work on the EMS Advisory Committee. They will have a special work session to go through the membership and select members following the BOS meeting 09-22-2026. We will also work with the county to finialize the at-large application and hope to have that posted today (09-16-26) so check back later. Do you have a recommandation on who should serve on this important committee? Send us an email at em@jasperema-hls.org or give us a call 641-792-7555.
The following documents were provided by Jasper County EMA Director, Jamey Robinson, to the Board of Supervisors on September 8, 2026.
Next Steps as of 08/27/2026: We will meet with the Jasper County BOS to discuss appointing the EMS advisory committee. Once appointed, we will post each member and contact information here for you to have. Got questions? Send us an email to em@jasperema-hls.org.
2014 Jasper County EMS Assessment
This independent assessment was completed in 2014 and provides a historical baseline of Jasper County’s EMS system at that time. Even then, the study identified the lack of a standardized countywide funding process as a significant concern, along with staffing, recruitment and retention, response consistency, coordination, and data collection.
More than a decade later, the cost of personnel, training, vehicles, medical equipment, supplies, and regulatory compliance has continued to increase, while ambulance reimbursement and volunteer availability have not kept pace. Although many operational recommendations from the study have been implemented or substantially advanced, sustainable funding remains unresolved.
The service-specific call volumes, staffing levels, financial information, agency structures, and other operational details in the report reflect conditions in 2013 and 2014 and should not be considered current.
As part of the EMS essential-services process, the EMS Advisory Council will review the 2014 assessment, finalize the information needed from local EMS services, and determine what current operational and financial data should be collected. The study will serve as historical background alongside the updated information developed through the Advisory Council process.
EMS IS NOW AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE IN JASPER COUNTY
Today marks an important step forward for Emergency Medical Services in Jasper County.
Following three readings and public hearings, the Jasper County Board of Supervisors approved the resolution declaring EMS an essential service in Jasper County.
First and foremost, we want to thank the Jasper County, Iowa Board of Supervisors for being willing to take on this issue and begin the conversation about the future of EMS in our county.
We also want to be very clear about what happened today and, just as importantly, what DID NOT happen.
No new tax was approved today.
The resolution does not establish an EMS levy or increase anyone's property taxes. It creates the framework that allows Jasper County to begin the process of evaluating what a sustainable countywide EMS system could look like. Any future EMS tax proposal would ultimately have to go before Jasper County voters and receive at least 60% approval before it could be implemented.
Today's vote was step one. Now the work begins.
Over the coming weeks, the Board of Supervisors will consider the makeup of an EMS Advisory Team. That group will have the responsibility of taking a hard look at EMS throughout Jasper County, including staffing, volunteer shortages, ALS availability, response coverage, training, equipment, costs, existing local services, and what it will realistically take to sustain EMS into the future.
Our goal is not to replace the EMS services we already have. In fact, the resolution specifically states the opposite. The goal is to strengthen our countywide EMS system while preserving the independent local services that our communities have built and supported.
This isn't something that will be figured out in one meeting, and it shouldn't be.
There will be difficult questions. There will be different opinions. There will be numbers that have to be justified. Most importantly, there needs to be an open conversation with the people who would ultimately be asked to support it: you, the residents of Jasper County.
We also recognize that discussions involving property taxes deserve transparency. You should know what is being proposed, why it is being proposed, where the money would go, and what Jasper County would receive in return before you are ever asked to vote on it.
So please, ask questions.
If you hear something that doesn't make sense, ask us.
If you're concerned about what this could cost you, ask us.
If you want to know how the money could be used, ask us.
If you think there is something we're overlooking, tell us.
Email us at em@jasperema-hls.org
We will also be creating a dedicated page on the Jasper County EMA website where we will post information about the process and begin answering questions as they come in. If one person is asking a question, chances are someone else is wondering the same thing.
EMS is something most people don't think much about until the day they need it. When that day comes, whether it is your child who can't breathe, your spouse having chest pain, your parent who has fallen, or someone seriously injured in a crash, you expect someone to answer the call.
The men and women providing that care across Jasper County have been finding ways to make that happen for a long time, often with limited staffing, increasing costs, and fewer volunteers.
Today doesn't solve those problems.
But it gives us an opportunity to work together and find a way forward.
Thank you again to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors, our EMS agencies, our responders, our cities and townships, and everyone who has participated in this process so far.
We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we are ready to get started.
