By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
The City of Flandreau and a newly formed Ambulance Task Force are scrambling to decide whether Flandreau will take over Moody County ambulance operations following a surprising ultimatum last week.
County commissioners voted Tuesday to hand over the countys two ambulances and other resources to the city, citing stalled negotiations on financial support for the service.
The city and task force have until February 28 to respond.
If the city had reached out to us, they would have seen that working together was and is the best way to manage ambulance services, said Commission Assistant Marty Skroch, expressing frustration.
But its time, guysMoody County has run this service for 36 yearsI think Flandreau should take a crack at it.
City officials, caught off guard by the proposal and its near-unanimous approval, disputed claims that talks had stalled. Instead, they said they were working to understand how best to support the service, noting no formal funding request had been filed.
All funding requests to the city require formal documentation, officials said. While county representatives attended open meetings and made verbal appeals, no paperwork was submitted.
City leaders emphasized the need for clarity before committing funds. To ensure the services long-term sustainability, they have questions that they feel need answers before throwing money at it and hoping it works, they said.
Financial strains and staffing challenges have plagued the county-run ambulance service, which has operated at an annual loss of nearly $70,000 since 2011 due to low reimbursement rates and rising costs. Moody County is not alone by any means in these challenges, ambulance services nationwide are ceasing operations for the same reasons.
Discussions about city support began in August 2022, with subsequent meetings addressing the possibility of using the vacant fire hall as a new ambulance base.
The city has hesitated to give away the building, initially planning to sell it to replenish its general fund and remove a deteriorating elevator downtown. However, many see the space as a logical new home for the ambulance.
The service, which is not required by law, relies on limited financial support. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe contributes $10,000 annually, but no other consistent funding sources exist.
If the county exits the business, Flandreau unlike most of the county already covered by ambulance services from Dell Rapids, Madison, or Brookings would be left without.
Skroch reiterated his recommendation to commissioners.
Weve got two ambulances with power-lift systems and state-of-the-art equipment. If were not going to run it anymore, we should turn it over to Flandreau.
He added that the county could contribute a $36,000 annual stipend about half its typical loss to support the citys efforts.
City Administrator Cohl Turnquist responded, emphasizing collaboration. The City Councils goal has been to ensure reliable ambulance service. We wanted to work with the county to identify challenges and explore solutions, including a city subsidy, mutual aid, third-party operations, or city control. With the commissions unexpected decision, Ill recommend the task force assess the feasibility of a city-operated service.
Both the countys letter and the citys response are posted on the Moody County Enterprise Facebook page.
In the meantime, Turnquist wants to assure residents the city will prioritize maintaining ambulance services.
If its feasible for the city to take over, well need full cooperation from the county and assurances the service will operate until a smooth transition is achieved, he said.
The county has indicated its willingness to ensure a smooth handoff, emphasizing that the February 28 deadline is for a decision not the end of its ambulance operations.
This is a developing story. Those interested can attend city meetings in person or watch live-streams and archives on the citys website. County meetings, held bi-weekly, are open for in-person attendance only.
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