Collaboration efforts continue for county-wide ambulance service

The newly formed Ambulance Task Force met for its second weekly meeting this past Thursday, exploring whether the City of Flandreau could logistically take over providing ambulance service for the entire county. With a February 28th deadline quickly approaching, the task force plans to meet every week, aiming to make a decision between now and then.
Moody County officials recently offered the countys ambulances and related services to the city, hoping to find a sustainable solution for long-term ambulance service.
The county has been experiencing, on average, losses upwards of $70,000 each year on the service, largely due to lack of reimbursement on calls. A majority of calls each week come directly out of Flandreau, which is why the county is asking the city for more direct assistance, or to take over the service entirely.
All entities guarantee ambulance service will continue without interruption, but who will respond in the near future, and how that service looks and will be funded, remains the focus.
The task force meetings are planned for every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Flandreau City Hall, they are also live streamed on the City of Flandreaus website at cityofflandreau.com, under the Government tab.
So far, the task force has been working with representatives from the city, county, tribe, local emergency responders, and other community members to explore sustainable options for a county-wide ambulance service. Topics so far have ranged from budgeting, billing, and solutions like creating an ambulance district, or working with Avera Flandreau Hospital to possibly provide the service with the city and countys assistance, to how other counties of similar size are handling their services.
The next meeting is scheduled for January 30th. The public is welcome to attend in person. For more information, check out the City of Flandreaus website.