Chickasaw County Public Ambulance Service Moves Forward Slowly
Progress on getting a county-run ambulance ready by January 1, 2023, in Chickasaw County continues to be a slow process.
To help with preparations, the Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors approved the formation of an ambulance committee to make recommendations on putting the service together, including how many ambulances and where they would operate from.
That’s Bridget Edson with the ambulance advisory committee, who also told supervisors during their regular meeting Tuesday morning that Aaron Flugum, CEO of MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center, has offered the hospital’s assistance to recruit ambulance staff.
Edson said MercyOne is also willing to do a postcard mailer to promote the staffing needs, including hiring an EMS director. The County also needs a medical director to provide medical guidance to the ambulance service.
Supervisor Chair Matt Kuhn, also on the advisory committee, says one position they won’t be filling is an ambulance consultant.
The Board did vote 3-2 to buy some ambulance-related equipment for about $195,000. However, Supervisor Jacob Hackman cautioned against making too many purchases without having a budget amendment hearing to allocate funds for the ambulance service, especially since $750,000 in county-pledged ARPA funds for the project won’t cover all startup costs and ARPA funds can’t be used to pay for salaries and wages.
