Two Chautauqua County fire districts not paying EMS fees billed by Chautauqua County isn’t a big deal – yet.

County officials said in a news release recently that the county is taking steps to resolve unpaid fees owed by the Forestville and Frewsburg Fire Districts for Advanced Life Support ambulance intercepts. If payment agreements aren’t reached, the county may suspend some services provided in the areas.

We hope it doesn’t get to that, though county officials said Forestville and Frewsburg fire district officials have hired attorneys after raising “novel constitutional issues” with the state laws that allow the county to bill fire districts for services rendered.

Here’s why this could be a big deal in the future.

We aren’t growing. Chautauqua County’s population declines, as well as its largely aging rural populations, mean volunteer fire companies will continue to have a harder and harder time recruiting members. The only reason we don’t hear more about shrinking volunteer fire department membership, in our opinion, is the fact the county is answering an increasing number of EMS calls with its fly cars and ALS ambulance intercepts through Chautauqua County Emergency Medical Services. As we struggle to recruit volunteers, paid EMTs are being used.

A similar situation is playing out in Warren County. The city of Warren is sending its ambulance outside of the city more and more often to provide ambulance and EMS services when volunteer fire departments around the city aren’t staffed. Warren has payment agreements with many of its neighbors that reimburse the city for those responses. Conewango Township, much like Forestville and Frewsburg, is disputing that it owes the city of Warren a $13,500 bill in part because it states the responses from the city fall under mutual aid and, therefore, shouldn’t be billed.

The particulars in Chautauqua and Warren counties are different, but the theme remains the same – there are gaps in our old models of emergency services coverage that have to be filled. And regardless of the way those gaps are filled there will be a cost to be paid.

The decisions now, particularly if court cases set legal precedent, could have ramifications far into the future for rural areas that aren’t likely to see big enough population increases to count on full ranks in their volunteer fire departments. Somebody will have to answer the call when emergencies arise. The questions are who responds, and how much will it cost?