Board shifts $29,320 to gaming fund for rescue-vehicle equipment; approves small asphalt repair and hears EMS workload update

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors approved two funding measures related to emergency services and heard an operational briefing on rising call volumes.

The board voted 5-0 to amend the funding source for additional equipment on a new rescue vehicle, moving $29,320 from the county capital improvement plan allocation to the county gaming fund. The change was presented as a funding-source reallocation to ensure the vehicle purchase and outfitting are covered; motion to approve was seconded and passed unanimously.

Separately, the board approved $2,500 for an asphalt patch at a county facility where new concrete abuts old asphalt. County staff described the patch as roughly 29 feet by 10 feet and said the work would prevent loose stone and deterioration during winter plowing. The board discussed paying the repair from either gaming revenues or a small adjustment to the 2026 CIP; ultimately the board approved the repair 5-0.

Woodbury County Emergency Services Director Drew Bair reported the department has handled 735 EMS responses from Jan. 1 through July 31 and is "about 24 calls ahead of last year for the first 6 months." Bair said the busiest month year to date was February with 114 calls, and the busiest recent period averages about 3.46 calls per day; the most frequent call types were listed as "sick party" and "trouble breathing." He also described equipment planned for the new rescue vehicle: a heavy-duty front bumper, a heavy winch, a slide-out roll tray, a crew cabinet module to secure EMS gear, a warning-light package and decals.

Why it matters: the funding reallocation and small repair both support county emergency response capacity, while the operations briefing indicates rising demand for EMS services in the county.

Board action: motions to reassign funding and to approve the asphalt patch each passed by a unanimous 5-0 vote.