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County ambulance services report surging calls, staffing shortages and plans for a regionalization study
Summary
Del Rapids, Humboldt and Garretson ambulance services told the commission that call volumes rose sharply in recent years, staffing is the biggest challenge, aging vehicles need replacement and a state regionalization grant will study future EMS service models.
Del Rapids, Humboldt and Garretson ambulance leaders briefed the Minnehaha County Commission on March 4 about increasingly busy operations, staffing pressures and equipment needs.
Lede: Ryan Sinek of Del Rapids Ambulance said his service finished 2024 with 621 calls — almost a 50% increase since 2020 — and that staffing and aging vehicles (examples: 2009 and 2011 ambulances) are immediate concerns. Humboldt and Garretson reported similar year-over-year increases and echoed the staffing and equipment concerns.
Nut graf: The services credited recent county funding increases with helping improve pay and retention but said long-term sustainability will require new vehicles, more staff and structural planning; a state grant awarded to a regional study will seek options for future service models.
Body: Ryan Sinek said Del Rapids had been “ungodly busy” and reported being on pace for roughly 700 calls for 2025 as of January. He told the commission the ambulance service is working on interfacility-transfer portal projects, state-level legislation on insurance reimbursements and local grant applications, but that new ambulances cost “$300,000 plus” and grants rarely cover staffing or vehicle purchases.
Tim Even of Humboldt Ambulance said his service was at 321 calls in 2024 (about a 10% increase from 2023) and expects a pace that could push totals above 400 calls in 2025. He credited increased county funding for enabling pay bumps that help retain medics and said departments need continued support for fire departments that provide rescue assistance on many calls.
Curtis Nelson, director of Garretson Ambulance, said Garretson led a successful regionalization-study grant that will examine EMS sustainability in the area over five-to-ten-year horizons. He said Garretson is acting as the lead agency for the regional study and will coordinate discussions with Commissioner Kipli and municipal partners about future options.
Commission context: Commissioners voiced appreciation for the services, noted the importance of retention and thanked the county for recent funding increases that helped address pay. The ambulance leaders requested continued county support for replacement vehicles and staffing solutions.
Ending: Services plan to pursue equipment-replacement strategies, continued grant work and a coordinated regionalization study to shape long-term EMS options.
