Jamestown Area Ambulance facing struggles with staffing and costs

As first reported by the Jamestown Sun, Jamestown Area Ambulance has been facing issues with staffing and insurance reimbursements, as costs have risen 66% over the last decade, but reimbursement has only increased 12%. The ambulance service has been working to address these challenges with a recently changed protocol in January 2024 that allows for more flexible usage of paramedics, and wage increases to attract potential staff, but this has not been enough. A town hall meeting on Tuesday addressed these challenges; Ringdahl EMS, who operate Jamestown Area Ambulance, said they won’t be closing or making immediate changes; they want to work with local government to propose an ambulance district, which requires voter approval, and would help with funding challenges. They also want to transition their license status from advanced life support to basic life support, which would allow them to allocate their paramedic resources more effectively. Essentially, this will circumvent the requirement that a paramedic must be on the first truck out to a scene due to staffing shortages; an EMT can be sent out first if the scene is less serious, allowing for a paramedic to move to a more serious scene if needed. Paramedics are more highly trained than an EMT. Community leaders, including Stutsman County Commissioner Jerry Bergquist, support the ambulance district proposal.