International Falls accepts state operating-deficit grant to help sustain ambulance service
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Summary
Chief Manasa explained an Operating Deficit Grant from the Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services to support ambulance operations; council accepted the grant resolution unanimously. Representative Roger Scraba praised state efforts to help rural ambulance services.
The International Falls City Council on Jan. 5 accepted a state operating-deficit grant intended to support ambulance operations.
Chief Manasa told the council the grant was part of four pieces of recent state legislation and followed a cost-collection survey the city filed; the city received notification in December of the award. He said the funds will be used for operating expenses of the ambulance service and noted the city also has capital equipment on order.
Representative Roger Scraba, who was present, framed the grant as part of broader state efforts to support rural EMS, saying rural areas face structural challenges compared with metro areas and that state funding helps keep ambulances running, maintain newer equipment and reduce long response waits.
Council accepted the resolution to authorize signatures and accept the grant; the resolution passed unanimously.
Details not specified in the meeting: the transcript does not include a dollar amount for the operating-deficit grant; Chief Manasa said the city received award notification in December but did not announce the specific figure during the public presentation.
Quotes from the meeting: "This was part of four big pieces of legislation that were passed last year in the state of Minnesota," Chief Manasa said when describing the program. "...we got notification in December of the amount that we would get for this deficit, operating deficit grant."
Representative Scraba said rural Minnesota is at a disadvantage compared to metro areas and praised efforts to keep local ambulance services operating.
