By Emma Jane
Billings Gazette
JOLIET, Mont. After two decades of being powered entirely by volunteers, Joliet鈥檚 emergency medical services team has taken a major leap forward.
Thanks to a mill levy approved by voters in June 2024, the department was able to hire two full-time staff members around the start of the year 鈥� boosting responsiveness in emergency care for Carbon County and surrounding rural areas.
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A mill levy is a property tax based on assessed home value. Carbon County鈥檚 current 18-mill levy 鈥� estimated to raise $1.19 million annually 鈥� replaced the county鈥檚 former $69-per-year ambulance subscription fee.
As a nonprofit, Joliet EMS can also apply for grants, but those funds typically cover one-time purchases, not the ongoing costs of running an ambulance service. That鈥檚 why Robin Harper, who鈥檚 been a volunteer paramedic for 24 years, and other longtime crew members pushed for the countywide mill levy to secure more reliable, long-term funding.
鈥淐arbon County supported it, the people supported it,鈥� Robin Harper said. 鈥淭hat really made us feel good, and also made us feel a lot more responsible, that now we鈥檙e working on their money.鈥�
Joliet EMS is staffed by 24 people, all but two of them volunteers. The recent addition of two full-time employees, funded by the levy, has allowed the station to be staffed more consistently 鈥� leading to faster response times. In the past, with a fully volunteer crew, calls were often answered from home, which meant valuable minutes lost just getting to the station.
鈥淲e stop what we鈥檙e doing, we have to come to the station, get the ambulance, and then go to the call,鈥� Robin Harper said. 鈥淪o the wait time was quite a bit for some people and this has improved things immensely.鈥�
Robin Harper鈥檚 husband Terry Harper has volunteered with Joliet EMS for nearly a decade, something he said he couldn鈥檛 manage until retirement, given the time and commitment the role requires.
鈥淓ven when we don鈥檛 sign up for call, we鈥檙e on call,鈥� Terry Harper said. 鈥淭he problem is not so much us doing it, it鈥檚 the people waiting.鈥�
That problem extends beyond Carbon County. Montana is one of many states where EMS is not legally classified as an essential service 鈥� meaning it doesn鈥檛 receive automatic taxpayer funding like police or fire departments do.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just us,鈥� Terry Harper said. 鈥淪tatewide, it鈥檚 mostly volunteers, and we鈥檙e all struggling.鈥�
This statewide strain has caught the attention of lawmakers. In May, the Montana Legislature approved a joint resolution to study how EMS is delivered and funded across the state 鈥� an early step toward potential reforms in the system. Robin Harper said this is not the first attempt at a legislative measure to support EMS.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been legislation but our people in Helena knock it down every time,鈥� Robin Harper said.
When Robin Harper joined Joliet EMS, she said there was no shortage of volunteers. But with more people struggling financially in recent years, that has changed.
鈥淲hen I first started, everybody volunteered. That was the big deal back then,鈥� Robin Harper said. 鈥淲ell, since then, we鈥檝e got families that (rely on) two incomes, and some people are working two jobs. So they just don鈥檛 have the time. The whole thing has shifted.鈥�
Despite ongoing economic challenges, community members continue to step up as volunteers. It was from this local pool that Joliet EMS recruited its two new hires: EMT Matt Smith and paramedic Liz Pugrud. Smith, 26, had volunteered as an EMS worker and firefighter in nearby Bridger for two years before being hired in late February. Pugrud spent four years as a Joliet EMS volunteer before stepping into the paid role in January.
鈥淲e鈥檇 all love to volunteer all the time. You just can鈥檛 survive anymore,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great thing, getting this mill levy passed. We don鈥檛 get into EMS to get rich or make money, so it鈥檚 given me the opportunity to be able to do this and still be able to survive.鈥�
Robin Harper said the decision to hire from within the volunteer ranks was intentional, as those individuals had already demonstrated the commitment and values essential to working in EMS.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e got to have a desire to commit to the organization and maybe go on a call when they鈥檙e dead tired, or miss a family function or something like that, because somebody else needs our help,鈥� Robin Harper said. 鈥淵ou should never be in it for the glory. You should go in, do what you have to do, then leave, and don鈥檛 have to draw attention to yourself.鈥�
While the community may view EMS work as heroic, Robin Harper said the day-to-day reality is far from glamorous, recalling calls where she left covered in feces or vomit after providing care. Pugrud added that in rural areas, slower response times can mean EMS workers are sometimes met with frustration from patients rather than the gratitude people might assume.
鈥淚 try to take it with grace,鈥� Pugrud said. 鈥淚f they鈥檙e calling us, they鈥檙e already having a bad day.鈥�
Acknowledging the challenges, Smith said that being able to help people makes it worth it.
鈥淲e have a really special job in that way,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淲e get to show up for people when they really need someone. It鈥檚 a really special feeling to be able to help somebody in their time of need.鈥�
The mill levy funding has also allowed Joliet EMS to expand its community outreach. Last fall, the team hosted a workshop titled 鈥淔ar Out and Waiting,鈥� aimed at helping rural residents better prepare for medical emergencies given the longer response times in remote areas.
鈥淲e show different things that you wouldn鈥檛 think of, like using a stick to splint a leg,鈥� Robin Harper said. 鈥淲e hope to do that again.鈥�
Joliet EMS also engages in youth outreach, organizing a program every other year for local middle schoolers to learn first aid and safety skills. Earlier this year, the team also brought one of its two ambulances to a homeschool group for a similar hands-on safety session, Smith said.
鈥淲e love to do that,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚f people request, we鈥檙e more than happy to.鈥�
漏 2025 the Billings Gazette (Billings, Mont.).
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