Key findings from this study include:
- Most EMS services (69%) have problems recruiting and/or retaining volunteers.
- Half of the interviewees pay their volunteers in some way, for example, by the run or standby pay.
- Most rural agencies (83%) rely on multiple sources of ongoing financial support.
- Billing for services is the norm rather than the exception for rural services.
- Among the 40 services with transport capability, 20% provide interfacility transport and average eight transports per month.
- Virtually all respondents reported that they have Mutual Aid Agreements with other services and many noted that these agreements work well.
- Respondents were asked to rate the likelihood that they will be able to operate as they currently do over the next five years. More than two-thirds were optimistic about their viability and 20% rated their chances at 5 (on a 10 point scale), indicating that they thought it could go either way.
