Washington officials are prepared to negotiate with Beaufort County officials concerning the city’s role in providing emergency medical services, but with a Dec. 31 deadline for the negotiations to take place.

Washington’s City Council, during its meeting Monday, unanimously voted to revisit the decision to turn over its EMS duties to the county July 1, 2017, or such other date that might be approved by the City Council and Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.

In April, the City Council decided that city EMS personnel would continue to provide EMS coverage in the city and in some county areas through June 30, 2017, unless the city and county are able to effect the county’s take over of that EMS coverage before or after that date. During one of its meetings in March, the City Council initially decided to inform the county is would be responsible as of July 1 of this year for ensuring EMS coverage would be provided in the city and two fire districts. After an April 1 meeting involving city and county officials, city officials agreed to ask the council to consider extending the July 1 deadline.

The situation has changed since earlier this year.

On Monday, Councilmen Richard Brooks and William Pitt made it clear they prefer to keep the status quo — the city providing EMS in Washington and the Old Ford and Clark’s Necks fire districts it has been providing EMS to for many years. “I think this city should keep it,” said Brooks, who along with Councilman Doug Mercer are members of the EMS oversight committee working to come to an agreeable conclusion on the city’s role in performing EMS duties in the city and/or some county areas.

“I don’t think there was ever a question of whether or not we should or should not keep it. It’s a matter of if we can,” Councilman Larry Beeman said. “It’s not a matter of if we want to or not. It’s a matter if they (county) are going to let us. They basically told us, ‘In a year, we’re taking it.’ It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.” Beeman said it was his impression the county was taking over the city’s current EMS responsibilities July 1, 2017.

City Manager Bobby Roberson told Beeman the county has changed its position on EMS coverage. “What they said at the meeting (recently held) is they did not want to take it over. They want to negotiate,” Roberson told the council.

“There’s the contradiction right there,” Beeman said.

Brooks made a motion for the city to negotiate with the city, but Mercer suggested including the Dec. 31 deadline for the negotiations. “We’re going to be through in December. If we can’t get it worked out, we will be in or out,” Mayor Mac Hodges said about the negotiations.

Subsequently, Brooks offered a new motion that included the deadline, and the council approved it.

Any negotiated agreement between the city and county would come to the council for review before the city makes a commitment.

At the April 1 meeting, Allen Johnson, eastern regional director of the state office of Emergency Medical Services, explained that while the county is responsible for ensuring EMS service is provided, state statute does not require the county to provide that service. Such service can be provided by the county contracting with an EMS provider, the county relying on volunteer EMS providers and other options, Johnson said.