The Ambulance System Is Imploding

You mentioned earlier the EMS task force center on center.

You guys are on the EMS task force in Pierre this summer.

So for those that don't know, tell us why EMS is a big issue right now for South Dakota.

Well, it's really about sustainability.

Everybody, you know, when you make that 911 call, you expect that ambulance to be there.

And there are a lot of issues, especially in our more rural areas.

Sometimes they're even called super rural, rural, or frontier.

Those areas are starting to, they're run by volunteers.

There's less volunteers, you know, so they're dealing with those issues.

Plus, and we'll talk about it a little bit more here, you know, the funding for the actual runs is much less than what it's costing.

And so last year we had a committee that was put together and we really just scratched the surface.

And so this last year I ran a bill to say we need to have this task force again and we need to look at it as how can we make it so, you know, it's essential, you know, that it's going to be there.

You dial 911, you know it's going to be there just like for fire and just like for public safety, for police and such.

So I think that's a big question is obviously with the fire department and with the police departments across counties and sheriff's, that all kind of makes sense.

I think everybody understands that.

I think most people probably think that EMS is the same or that that's kind of how that is.

But how does that work in South Dakota currently?

A patchwork.

Okay.

It's a patchwork of how it's done.

You know, I'll use, working as an example, it's the city-owned hospital runs EMS.

A lot of times it's just independent agencies that are running, you know, the ambulances.

That they contract out with, basically.

Yeah, and that's kind of where the rub is because counties, you know, counties and cities both are trying to figure this.

We need more funding.