Cottage Grove Fire Department highlights advanced EMS care and response times to council

During the recent St. Paul Park City Council meeting, significant discussions centered around the emergency medical services (EMS) provided by the Cottage Grove Fire Department, highlighting both the quality of care and the financial challenges facing the service.

The Cottage Grove Fire Department, which serves St. Paul Park and surrounding areas, emphasized its commitment to delivering advanced life support on every call. This approach ensures that a paramedic, trained to perform complex medical procedures, responds to emergencies, rather than relying solely on basic EMTs. The department has received accolades for its high level of care, including a gold award from the American Heart Association for excellence in heart and stroke care.

Response times were a key point of pride, with the department reporting an average response time of approximately 6 minutes and 46 seconds for St. Paul Park, significantly better than the state average of 9 minutes and 43 seconds. This efficiency is crucial, as timely medical intervention can be life-saving.

However, the meeting also addressed the financial strain on EMS operations. The department relies on billing for services, with over 70% of its patients being Medicare or Medicaid recipients. The goal is to self-fund EMS operations to avoid passing costs onto taxpayers. Yet, rising costs for equipment and personnel are creating challenges. For instance, essential equipment like monitor defibrillators can exceed $60,000 each, and the annual salary for paramedics is climbing above $120,000 with benefits.

City Administrator Jennifer Levitt highlighted the increasing financial pressures on the department, noting that while the quality of care remains high, sustaining this level of service is becoming more difficult due to escalating costs.

As the Cottage Grove Fire Department continues to provide vital services to St. Paul Park, the city council will need to consider how to support these operations amidst rising expenses, ensuring that residents receive the best possible emergency care without undue financial burden.