OCTOBER 18, 2022:
The Stanley County Commission and Fort Pierre City Council have approved new, five-year ambulance service contracts with current provider AMR. The Hughes County Commission has reviewed the contract, but wants some clarification before final approval. The Pierre City Commission has yet to formally discuss a new agreement.
Earlier this year, American Medical Response came to all four entities saying their cost to operate in the two counties has increased from $135-thousand this year (2022) to $415-thousand for next year. A primary reason for the increase is a lack of staff. AMR has been forced to hire traveling paramedics from as far away as California to cover gaps in staffing here– which means covering the cost of travel, lodging and meals in addition to the wages for traveling paramedics.
Under the new agreement, Fort Pierre will pay 13% of the contract cost and Stanley County will pay 11%. Those percentages work out to $53,950 for Fort Pierre and $45,650 for Stanley County in 2023. The new agreement would have Pierre paying 40% of the cost, or $166,000, and Hughes County paying 36%, or $149,400. The amount paid will increase by 3% each year through the end of the contract in 2027.
The current agreement with AMR expires at the end of this year (2022).
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SEPTEMBER 7, 2022:
One of the leading entities in the proposal for development of an ambulance district for Hughes and Stanley counties, Pierre, Fort Pierre, Harrold and Blunt has reversed course and is no longer supporting the idea.
The Stanley County Commission discussed the move during its meeting yesterday evening (Sept. 6, 2022).
Fort Pierre City Alderman and ambulance district liaison Scott Deal updated the City Council saying there’s concern about financial obligations.
Deal says he, Stanley County Commissioner Dennis Booth and Hughes County Commission Chairman Randy Brown discussed the concerns.
Deal feels taking a pause to evaluate all possible options will be good for all of the local government entities involved.
He says Stanley County and Fort Pierre are going to look into options that may be viable.
American Medical Response says their cost to operate in the two counties has increased dramatically in the past few years, going from $135-thousand this year (2022) to $415-thousand for next year. A primary reason for the increase is a lack of staff. AMR has been forced to hire traveling paramedics from as far away as California to cover gaps in staffing here– which means covering the cost of travel, lodging and meals in addition to the wages for traveling paramedics. The current agreement with AMR expires at the end of this year (2022).
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AUGUST 25, 2022:
If you missed last week’s (Aug. 17, 2022) public meeting about the proposed creation of the Central South Dakota Ambulance District in Hughes and Stanley counties, there’s another meeting this evening (Aug. 25, 2022).
The Stanley and Hughes County Commissions and the towns of Fort Pierre, Pierre, Blunt and Harrold are all supporting creation of the ambulance district.
AMR Operations Supervisor Matt Hardwick says they’re currently about a dozen full and part-time staff members short of what they’d like to have.
Hardwick says filling in the staffing gap has greatly increased their cost.
Hardwick says AMR in Pierre averages five to seven calls for service each day.
Dr. Tom Huber is AMR’s Medical Director. He says most people don’t realize the importance of having emergency ambulance service readily available– until they need it.
Huber says the current agreement with AMR to provide ambulance services within Hughes and Stanley counties expires at the end of this year.
The two county commissions are holding a joint meeting and public hearing tonight at 6pm CT at the Senior Center in Fort Pierre.
Should the proposed district be approved, someone who has a home with a tax value of $250,000, would pay less than $60 annually for the ambulance district fee. Voters will have the final say in the matter when they go to the polls in November (2022).
If the ambulance district is on the November ballot and voters don’t approve its creation, AMR could discontinue service in Hughes and Stanley County. AMR says their cost to operate in the two counties has increased dramatically in the past few years, primarily because of a lack of staff. AMR has been forced to hire traveling paramedics from as far away as California to cover gaps in staffing here– which means covering the cost of travel, lodging and meals in addition to the wages for traveling paramedics.
More information about the proposed ambulance district is available at csdambulance.com.
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