Decision Time Set for Public Ambulance in Chickasaw County
It’s decision time for cities in Chickasaw County to determine their financial commitment for a county-run, public ambulance service.
The County now has less than five months to get the service up and running by January 1, 2023. Cities represented on the Chickasaw County Ambulance Council (CCAC) have been asked to help support operating costs at a per capita rate of $100 per resident in each city. If all cities participate, it would provide about $1.2 million a year.
During a CCAC meeting Tuesday, Alta Vista, Bassett and Nashua said they would be out based on the current arrangement, with Nashua’s holdout over getting an ambulance based in Nashua. Board of Supervisors Chair Matt Kuhn, also the County’s rep on the CCAC, said the initial budget won’t support a rig in Nashua right away.
Kuhn also noted that the consensus of the Board of Supervisors was to proceed with the ambulance service even without those three cities while the cities who are in won’t be asked to pay more.
Kuhn also noted that the budget for the ambulance service would be reduced with fewer cities participating, but it also means service will have to be scaled back. As it stands, the County would start with one rig staffed fully 24/7 with a second ambulance on-call with backup personnel, both based in New Hampton.
