Jefferson Valley Rural Ambulance District - How They Service Us

As many may have noticed, as small town changes are always noticed, P.U.L.S.E. and the Jefferson Valley EMS are now housed in what used to be the Whitehall Drug Store. This prominent location on Legion Street was made possible with assistance provided by the Jefferson Valley Rural Ambulance District. Ambulance workers will now have a place to train, wait for calls, get education and more. This is one of the many ways that the funds brought in through the JVRAD’s fees help assist the community. So what does JVRAD do and what don’t they do?

The boundaries of the ambulance district are the same as the boundaries for the Whitehall High School District, excluding Madison County, Silver Bow County, and the Town of Whitehall. To many, the worry that the ambulance will not respond to their call because they live outside the district, is a real concern. However, rest assured, the ambulance WILL come. Members of the ambulance district already pay a $29 fee with their annual taxes, as they already support the district. Non-ambulance district members, as of September 21, 2020, will be charged $29 per ambulance call in addition to their regular bill. This $29 charge goes directly to the ambulance service.

The JVRAD, on their website at http://www.jvrad.com, clarifies the charges further: “It would be unfair to collect fees for ongoing ambulance support from people in the district and then allow people who do not contribute to benefit from the contribution of others without contributing themselves. The $29 fee per ambulance call for non-district residents might change as the ambulance district becomes more aware of the needs within the district.”

The fees collected, whether annually via taxes or per call, go to support the ambulance in paying bills which are not specifically billable to the patients served. Such as the new location on Legion for training; as well as tires and fuel for the ambulances, business licenses, AED batteries, training classes and much more. JVRAD submits their expenses to Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Bonnie Ramey, as any other county entity does, to ensure transparency to the County and those being served.

In the time of COVID-19, JVRAD has been crucial in helping to provide funds for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This includes anything from gloves and face masks, to protective suits and goggles. Francine Janik said that PPE is crucial for anyone responding to an ambulance call in these times and, while some things are reusable and washable, many are not.

What JVRAD does not do is set the pricing for ambulance calls or any billable expenses for patients, nor does it collect the fees billed. Billing for ambulance services is through https://www.pintlerbillingservices.com/ . Pintler Billing Services sends collected ambulances charges and fees to the ambulance service itself, not to the JVRAD.

The Jefferson Valley Rural Ambulance District has been a confusing entity to many for a long time, but the JVRAD is working to bring their purpose and future plans to the forefront and offer information to the community. Their newly developed website, http://www.jvrad.com, holds frequently asked questions, district boundaries, their Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, and much more. Their monthly meetings, held the third Monday of the month at 6PM at the new P.U.L.S.E. & Jefferson Valley EMS building, are open to the public; their meeting minutes are also available to the public upon request. The Town of Whitehall still has the opportunity to become part of the district; if this is something you as a private citizen feels should be achieved, contact the Whitehall City Council and/or Mayor Mary Hensleigh in order to support joining the district.