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Round Lake offers land for county ambulance base; committee asks for cost and staffing analysis
Summary
Town of Round Lake offered land for a potential county ambulance base; staff estimated capital and operational costs and warned staffing shortages could limit a full 24‑hour presence. The committee asked staff to return with a formal cost and operations analysis for budgeting.
The Town of Round Lake has offered land to host a Sawyer County ambulance base, and the Public Safety Committee discussed whether adding a new base would improve response times in the southern part of the county.
Andy briefed the committee on a preliminary revenue and cost picture. "If we were to set up another 24‑hour crew like we have, it's another — this is just a ballpark amount — it's $750,000 when you count in staff time and having a base," he said, noting another summary put the total closer to $1.5 million when including all capital and staffing. Staff emphasized that call volume in the Round Lake area is not high enough by itself to fully offset personnel costs and that existing ambulances are often reallocated across the county when units are on calls.
Committee members stressed that staffing shortages are the central operational barrier to placing a continuously staffed crew in a new location. "To make that facility worthwhile, we'd have to hire the personnel to run it," one committee member said. Staff said a third garage or base would need to be included in next year’s budget and asked the committee whether they wanted a formal cost‑benefit and siting analysis.
The committee asked staff to prepare a detailed cost estimate (building, equipment, personnel) and an operational model showing shifts, rotation and response‑time impacts; no decision was made.
