County ambulance services discussed

Falls County could lose its ambulance services as of Dec. 31.

Several meetings were held last week across the county to discuss the county’s Emergency Services District’s contracts with the current ambulance provider American Medical Response (AMR).

A meeting was held on Tuesday night at Falls Community Clinic in Marlin and on Wednesday night in Rosebud.

ESD 1’s annual ambulance service contract with AMR is for around $55,000 for one, around-the-clock ambulance that is stationed in Marlin and a second, eight-hour ambulance that runs Monday through Friday in the Chilton area.

Starting in 2023, AMR is asking for $145,000, a 163 percent increase.

Officials said the district does not receive that kind of money in a year’s time.

The ESD’s budget is about $130,000 a year, about $10,000 of which goes to the county tax office, according to officials, but the department currently has a $393,000 balance or rainy day fund.

Residents and area first responders at the meeting demanded the district pay the increased rate, saying there’s nothing cheaper out there.

First responders cannot transport patients in fire trucks or personnel vehicles from calls. Currently ambulance response time is around 16 minutes.

County officials including Falls County Judge Jay Elliot and Pct. 2 Commissioner F.A. Green said that if the district needs financial help, the board needs to speak up so the county is aware and can try to assist.

The ESD 1 board voted in favor of getting a contract in writing from AMR to review and weighing other options including hiring the district’s former ambulance service, Acadian.

If the ESD 1 doesn’t enter into a contract with AMR, officials say the ambulance service will pull out of contracts with the other two emergency services districts in Falls County.

The ESD 2 and ESD 3 met on Wednesday in Rosebud.