But to keep getting that money in the future, those departments would have to get licensed by the state government as an EMS provider.

The Webster County Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council approved that plan Wednesday evening as it continues the process of making EMS an essential service.

On March 4, Webster County voters approved a new property tax levy of 75 cents per $1,000 of taxable value to pay for emergency medical care as an essential service. The voters approved that by a 83 percent margin.

The tax, which is being collected with property taxes due this fall, is estimated to generate $1.6 million annually.

Among other things, the plan presented to the voters called for giving the volunteer fire departments $10,000 a year for medical equipment, training and supplies.

In the first year the new EMS tax revenue is available, each department could get $10,000, according to the proposal approved Wednesday. But after that first year, the departments would need to have state-licensed providers such as emergency medical technicians in order to continue getting funding.

Each department would have a separate fund within an EMS budget managed by the Webster County auditor.

The Otho Fire Department is one of the agencies eligible for that money, but in February it began operating its own ambulance service. Otho Fire Chief Marty Smith is lobbying the advisory council to include his department in the funding formula for ambulance services. The funding for ambulance services is currently to be divided between the Fort Dodge Fire Department, Southwest Webster Emergency Medical Service in Gowrie and the Dayton Rescue Squad. The proposal presented to the voters called for dividing the bulk of the new EMS revenue, about $1.4 million annually, between those three agencies.

On Wednesday, Smith was asked to submit a plan to the advisory council for possible inclusion in the ambulance service funding.

In other business, the council approved a framework for the eventual agreements that will be made with each agency that will receive money from the EMS tax. That framework agreement will now go to the Webster County Board of Supervisors.

The council also approved the bylaws that will govern its operation.