Billing issues lead to Jefferson County Fire & EMS budget crisis as fire chief announces resignation
Claire Elmer
(Update: adding video, adding interview with departing Fire Chief Jeff Blake)
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Jefferson County Fire and EMS is grappling with a severe financial shortfall that has forced deep spending cuts, the temporary relocation of its headquarters, and the upcoming departure of Fire Chief Jeff Blake.
What began as a successful merger of the county’s fire and ambulance services has now spiraled into a budget crisis, draining reserves and straining operations.
Blake says the funding gap is not a result of overspending, but of missing revenue and slow reimbursements — problems that began after the former EMS district was dissolved.
“When we merged EMS and fire together, the merger went really, really well,” Blake explained Tuesday to KTVZ News. “But from the time the dissolution happened, we weren’t able to bill for any revenue from Medicare, Medicaid, or any insurance companies.”
Without that billing capability, the district has been surviving on its reserve funds.
Even when payments do come in, they amount to only about a third of what the district bills. In response, Blake says the agency has cut $1.5-1.6 million from its budget while simultaneously seeing a 15 to 20 percent increase in call volume.
One of the latest cost-saving measures is temporarily relocating the headquarters to the old EMS station on Culver Highway during construction on its fire station. The move is expected to reduce expenses by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Despite the budget cuts, Blake emphasizes that service levels for residents remain strong. However, the strain of managing the crisis has weighed heavily on leadership. By mutual agreement with the district’s board, Blake will step down as chief on Nov. 29.
“It’s really hard,” he said. “I am passionate about the fire service and about this community. I don’t want to be any sort of barrier for the success of this organization moving forward. It’s bittersweet — some days I think I made the right decision, other days it’s a little difficult.”
The district’s board is now reviewing options to stabilize funding and ensure that Jefferson County’s fire and medical services can meet demand. As he prepares to leave, Blake says he hopes residents will continue to back the agency and its first responders through the challenges ahead.