Monday, April 6, 2026 |
Photo – SCWEMS patch – Bigfoot99 file photo
County officials praised our area’s volunteer emergency responders.
During the March 17th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Sue Jones said she had attended a recent South Central Wyoming EMS meeting in Saratoga. The organization, known as SCWEMS, is a mostly volunteer‑based service that provides emergency medical care and ambulance transport to eastern Carbon County.
Commissioner Jones said the county benefits from having dedicated emergency response personnel, particularly when responding to frequent crashes on Interstate 80.
Commissioner Jones said it’s easy to forget that emergency responders don’t simply appear when needed, adding that it’s important to recognize the commitment they make to public safety.
Commissioner Jones also complimented the Carbon County Unified Dispatch Center.
Last July, emergency dispatching services for Saratoga and Encampment were consolidated into the Sheriff’s Office, creating a single countywide call center. Commissioner Jones said the unified dispatch center kept emergency personnel informed during the windstorms occurring at the time.
Commissioner Jones continued, saying that in many remote parts of the country, you may have to wait a long time to receive help. But here in Carbon County, our emergency responders work together to reach those in need as quickly as possible.
Despite the county’s reliance on volunteer emergency responders, organizations like SCWEMS are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new volunteers.
As reported by Bigfoot99, the medical transport service is considering a rate increase to help attract additional volunteer personnel. Municipalities under SCWEMS coverage currently pay $34 per resident for ambulance service. During the March 18th Saratoga Town Council meeting, SCWEMS representative Steve Martin said the service was looking at raising the per‑resident fee by four dollars.
Martin said that under the increased price, SCWEMS anticipates generating an additional $20,000 annually across all participating municipalities. Saratoga Mayor Chuck Davis cautioned that municipalities would have to approve the fee increase before it can go into effect.
