Med-Star Paramedic Ambulance enters Aberdeen, joining two other providers
By Jackie Burke
Aberdeen American News (South Dakota)
Copyright 2006 Aberdeen American News
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
A third ambulance service will join the two that already serve the Aberdeen area.
Med-Star Paramedic Ambulance Inc. of Brandon began offering ambulance service to the Aberdeen area on Oct. 2, Med-Star paramedic Jay Masur said. Aberdeen Ambulance Service has been in business for 19 years. That’s in addition to the city-operated Aberdeen Fire and Rescue.
The Aberdeen City Council granted Med-Star a city ambulance license on Sept. 25.
Aberdeen Mayor Mike Levsen said Med-Star is licensed through the state and the City Council took that as evidence that the company is a legitimate organization.
Some of the services Med-Star Paramedic Ambulance Inc. offers includes long- and short-distance transport, seven-digit emergency response, stand-by at local high school sports games and car races and free first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for the police, nursing homes and bus drivers, Masur said.
Med-Star will give support to anyone needing it, regardless of whether he or she has insurance, Med-Star general manager Blaine Anderson said.
“We’re going to take everyone,” he said.
Although Aberdeen Ambulance Service usually covers the high school games, Masur thinks Aberdeen will benefit by having two ambulances there instead of one.
Being in the business for more than 25 years, Masur said his business is well established.
“We’re an old business in a new area,” Masur said.
Med-Star has two ambulances in Aberdeen and two paramedics staffed 24 hours a day.
If for some reason Med-Star is unable to respond, callers will be referred to the city, Anderson said.
“We’re very excited to be a part of the Aberdeen community,” Masur said.
Concerns: Aberdeen Ambulance Service’s Doug Glaser is not so sure that the Aberdeen area can support three ambulance services.
“It hasn’t hurt my business and I don’t think it’s going to,” Glaser said.
He said with 26,000 people in Aberdeen, there isn’t enough work for three services.
“I don’t know how much business (the services) need to succeed,” Levsen said. “It’s not (the City Council’s) position to make the decision on who succeeds.”
Aberdeen Ambulance Service responds to the rural fire department’s calls for free as it has done for about 10 years, along with working several local sporting events and fundraisers, he said. The service also handles transfer calls, such as moving patients from a hospital to nursing home.
Like Med-Star, Aberdeen Ambulance also offers advanced life support and basic life support, he said.
“Not one bit am I worried,” Glaser said. “We’ve been here 19 years and people here are loyal.”
Med-Star is not so sure.
“We’ve had an outstanding community response,” Anderson said. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with the hospital.”
Neither Med-Star nor Aberdeen Ambulance receives money from the city. Fire department-based Aberdeen Fire and Rescue does receive money from the city and is the primary responder to all of Aberdeen’s 911 calls.