STURGIS, S.D. – The Meade County Commission on Tuesday approved spending up to $5,000 for the Butte County Ambulance out of Newell to respond to needed calls in an area that currently has no ambulance service.
The Enning Ambulance ceased call operations at the end of April due to lack of volunteers and to maintain operations.
After being asked by the South Dakota State Emergency Management Service, the ambulance out of Newell was willing to help out, but wanted, in return, a $300 per call reimbursement and clear guidance with Meade County dispatch regarding which ambulance service is paged out.
Furthermore, Newell has stated in a letter sent to commissioners, that it wasn’t feasible for them to respond to calls on Highway 34. They would be willing to respond to calls to cover an area over to Fairpoint and Stoneville.
As of now, Newell is the only service helping to cover the dead area. The Rapid City Fire Department/Ambulance Service has declined to extend their service area north on New Underwood Road, due to call time and current operational load.
The commission on Tuesday approved paying Newell $300 per call out of its contingency fund through January 31st with a cap of $5,000. The approved motion today goes into effect immediately.
Commissioners say if the amount surpasses $5,000 before January 31st, the commission will again discuss.
