Boyceville ambulance service awarded $30,600 in EMS-FAP grant funds
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by LeAnn R. Ralph
BOYCEVILLE — The Boyceville Community Ambulance Service has been awarded an Emergency Medical Services Funding Assistance Grant (EMS-FAP) in the amount of $6,235 plus an additional $24,390 from American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Wayne Dow, director of the ambulance service, reported on the grant at the Boyceville Community Ambulance District Board’s August 10 meeting.
Dow said the Boyceville ambulance service did not actually have the funds yet because of a mix-up with the mailing address.
According to a list of grant recipients on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website, the address for the Boyceville Community Ambulance District is on County Road O in Knapp.
All EMS services in Wisconsin that transport patients are eligible to apply for FAP funds.
The money can be used for a variety of items related to emergency medical services, such as new emergency medical service vehicles, emergency vehicle repairs over $500, EMS equipment, communications, personal protective equipment, and training for EMTs.
Items that do not qualify under the funding assistance program include wages, rent, utilities, medical director fees, uniforms, professional association memberships, insurance premiums, regular vehicle maintenance or repairs, and food, beverages and party supplies.
According to the Wisconsin DHS website, each of the recipients that was awarded an EMS-FAP grant in general purpose funds from the state of Wisconsin will receive an additional $24,390 in ARPA funds.
Governor Tony Evers has directed an $8 million investment in ARPA funds received by the state to provide the additional money to ambulance services.
The Glenwood City ambulance service has been awarded $6,195 in FAP grant funds, and the Colfax Rescue Squad has been awarded $6,439. The Dallas ambulance service has been awarded $6,248, according to the list of recipients on the Wisconsin DHS website.
Each of those ambulance services also will receive $24,390 in ARPA funds from the state of Wisconsin.
Dow said the state of Wisconsin is still working on processing the applications for the EMS Flex Grant.
Boyceville’s application has included $200,000 toward a new ambulance.
The EMS Flex Grant will provide $12 million in ARPA funds to EMS providers to ensure that they will be able to continue to provide emergency services.
Report
So far this year, Boyceville has gone out on 155 calls, Dow reported to the ambulance district board.
Since the last meeting of the ambulance district board in July, Boyceville has gone out on 14 calls that included five transports by Boyceville, three fire stand-by, five refusals, and one on-scene care only and no transport, he said.
The ambulance service has 13 on the roster. Six people are waiting to take tests to become qualified, Dow said.
There are two or three more prospective new hires, and one person has signed up for the fall EMT class at New Richmond, he said, noting that one EMT on the roster will be going back to school in Florida soon.
In July, there were two EMTs on duty 77 percent of the time, and 23 percent of the time there was one EMT on duty, Dow said.
So far in August, there have been two EMTs on duty for 76.9 percent of the time and one on duty for 23.1 percent of the time, he said.
Dow commended Desirae Laursen, an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), for her dedication to the Boyceville ambulance service and her willingness to go out on runs whenever she is needed.
Vacation
Sonya Zebro, representative for the Village of Boyceville, said she had heard Dow was going to be missing out on a family vacation.
More EMTs are needed on the ambulance service, Dow said, before he could consider leaving on a family vacation.
If the ambulance service were shut down while he was away on vacation, then Boyceville would have to rely on the coverage agreements with Menomonie, Colfax, Glenwood City and Dallas, he said.
Paul Heifner, representative for the Town of Sherman, asked if would be possible to select a co-captain to run the ambulance service while Dow is gone.
Dow said he had “a couple of ideas.”
It is unreasonable to expect Dow to keep the ambulance in service when he needs a vacation, Zebro said.
Dow has been criticized for working too much, and he has been criticized for working alone, noted Peter Score, representative for the Town of Sheridan and chair of the ambulance district board.
No matter what is done, it will not satisfy everyone in a community, Zebro said.
It is unreasonable to expect Dow to work so many hours and not have any vacation, she said.
The ambulance service is “like dairy farming.” If Dow is going to be gone, someone must step up to take care of the ambulance service or the ambulance has to be taken out of service, Score said.
People will not understand if he takes the ambulance out of service, and they will not understand if Dow walks away because he is burned out, Zebro said.
Vice chair
Marv Prestrud, representative from the Town of New Haven, has said he wants to step away from being vice chair of the ambulance district board.
One of the agenda items for the August 10 meeting was to elect a new vice chair.
The Boyceville Community Ambulance District Board nominated Steve Nielsen, chair of the Town of Stanton, to be vice chair.
The ambulance district board cast a unanimous ballot to elect Nielson as vice chair.
The Boyceville Community Ambulance District Board meets next on September 14 at the Boyceville Village Hall at 7 p.m., or immediately following the meeting of the Boyceville Community Fire District Board at 6:30 p.m.
