What if you called for an ambulance, and nobody came?

More on that in a moment on the Face The State Radio Minute.

Many rural Colorado communities are facing an acute lack of volunteers. For what, you ask? Ambulance services are scrounging for qualified EMTs who can respond to emergency calls. Blame the economy, an overall decline in volunteerism, or just bad luck. But with many of our state’s counties dependent on volunteer medics and firefighters, this is a real problem. Who will be there when you call 911? Most big counties can afford to hire paid responders, but what about the rest?

A duo of Democrat legislators are proposing a $1 increase to the state’s vehicle registration fee. That will be hard to enact, and it may not be necessary. Why not incentivize citizens to volunteer with paid training, or a less costly tax credit? Something needs to be done, but a new fee isn’t the only option.

For FaceTheState.com, I’m Brad Jones.