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Residents urge board to act on ambulance response gaps in northern Sawyer County
Summary
Several northern Sawyer County residents told the board that volunteer and ambulance staffing gaps produce long response times and asked the county to pursue a staffed ambulance station; a town has offered land and residents requested the issue be placed on a future agenda.
Multiple residents from the northern part of Sawyer County urged supervisors to move forward on improving ambulance response in remote areas and to place the topic on a future board agenda.
Jim Stanland, who identified himself as a Town of Round Lake supervisor, told the board his town had offered up to 10 acres for a staffed ambulance facility and said ‘‘the constituents that you guys all have in the northern part of the county deserve ... faster response of ambulance.’’ He asked the board or staff to resume work on the proposal and to report back during budget discussions.
Mike Felder, a 20‑year member of the Lake Fire Department, described a recent call in which volunteers and an ambulance crew stabilized a 92‑year‑old patient and arranged a helicopter medevac. Felder warned that when volunteers are away — for example on vacation — entire areas can be left without local EMS personnel and said that the county should ‘‘get this going’’ as outdoor activity and an aging population increase demand.
Board members acknowledged the concerns. The county administrator said staff would follow up with town officials to review alternatives, costs and potential locations before presenting options to the Public Safety Committee.
What happens next: Supervisors invited staff to add ambulance station alternatives to future committee discussions and to bring options and cost estimates back to the board as part of budget planning.
