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Supervisors raise alarm about rural ambulance staffing after alleged embezzlement leaves Odo short-staffed
Summary
Board members warned of deteriorating ambulance coverage in rural parts of the county after a volunteer in Odo was charged with embezzlement and the community lost crew capacity; the board suggested exploring county-owned ambulance options or service agreements with small towns.
Board members raised concerns about ambulance coverage in rural eastern parts of Woodbury County after learning an ambulance volunteer in Odo was charged with embezzlement and the squad’s roster fell from three to two volunteers.
Acting Chair said the case illustrates fragile volunteer capacity in remote towns and suggested the county may need to consider acquiring an ambulance or negotiating agreements with communities that cannot staff or fund their own service. "That is one community that only had 3 people on their ambulance squad, and now they're down to 2," the acting chair told the board, noting recent calls where multiple communities were paged before a unit responded from a farther location.
