Emergency Medical Services
We are a fully licensed ALS Transport Agency (advanced life support- trauma verified with WA Dept of Health). Our career personnel use three full time ALS ambulances staffed with paramedics and EMTs. There are two back up ambulances available to be used by additional career and volunteer staff.
Our ambulances are equipped with state of the art equipment and our personnel are trained on the most current pre-hospital medical protocols. EMS responses account for approximately 75% of the response activity by Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue.
Patient Records
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue takes the security of your medical records and private information seriously. It is our business to ensure that your protected health information is maintained responsibly.
Medical records are not public information (as fire reports are), even though Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue is a public entity. Patient information is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Our HIPAA Privacy Officer is Deputy Chief Jeremy Huff.
To obtain a copy of your medical record, you must request it at our Headquarters Station at 701 Vine St in Kelso WA. You will be required to complete a Release of Medical Information Form and show picture identification. You may only request your own medical record, the medical record of someone for whom you are power of attorney or legal guardian, or of a deceased immediate family member.
EMS Billing
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue contracts with Systems Design West to process billing for ambulance transports.Â
If you have questions about a bill you received for EMS transport, please contact our billing company,
Systems Design West at (800) 238-9398.
When you get emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or
ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing. Click here for information about Washington State comsumer protections.Â
Medical Director
All pre-hospital personnel are required to work under the protocols of an oversight physician. Most often, that physician oversees personnel in a whole county. The Medical Program Director (MPD) for Cowlitz County is Dr. Marc Kranz. He is board certified in emergency medicine.
St. John Medical Center Emergency Department is designated as Cowlitz County’s “Medical Control” for clarification of orders, patient dispositions, cases of disparity between pre-hospital guidelines and other physician wishes, medical and controlled substance information and direction and other extraordinary situations that may arise during patient care. Telephone contact may be established with any physician working in the emergency department at that time. This form of direction is referred to as “on-line medical control”.
The MPD meets twice a month with paramedics in Cowlitz County to review cases and to present an education topic. The MPD also conducts a surgical skills lab annually for paramedic and EMT-IV technician participation. Dr. Kranz has an assistant to process paperwork, set up continuing education and clarify issues between EMS personnel. His assistant is Ron Stewart, EMT-P.
To Contact the MPD’s Office:
Cowlitz County Medical Program Director
105 D 15th Ave #411
Longview WA 98632
360.414.7569 (phone)
360.414.7834 (fax)