By Chris Vetter
The Leader-Telegram
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — Fifteen years ago, the Boyd-Edson-Delmar EMS Department received 327 calls for service. This year, the agency has fielded 750 calls, says Chief Ron Patten.
“It’s more than double,” Patten said Monday. “There’s more of a need. A lot of people stay at home longer, which is better for everybody. But it means more calls for service.”
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Patten, who also is county coroner and Chippewa County EMS Association chairman, is set to join the Chippewa County Ad Hoc EMS Study Committee. The Chippewa County Board will officially create the committee at their meeting tonight.
Patten said when he joined the EMS agency 46 years ago, it was common for EMS officials to be allowed to leave their job and respond to a call, but that is increasingly rare. It means that many municipalities simply don’t have staffing during the day.
“In certain areas of the county, they are really struggling to get enough EMTs to cover shifts,” Patten said. “This committee is to explore all opportunities.”
Patten noted that Eau Claire County tried a similar study but ultimately didn’t move any plan forward. Patten said one possibility is looking at how the county can provide additional funds to EMTs to attract more people to the job.
“We’re hoping to make something work, to help ambulance service through the county,” Patten said. “We’re trying to make the response better throughout the county.”
The resolution before the county board notes the importance of having a strong emergency services system across the county.
“Although the county benefits from a strong network of committed EMS services and professionals, growing challenges — including changes in population, financial pressures, and rising service demands — make it necessary to closely review the system to ensure it remains effective and sustainable,” the resolution reads. “Increasingly, we see gaps in service and providers unable to keep rigs staffed and available.”
The resolution noted that the closure of HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls in March 2024, along with the closure of several Prevea clinics, hurt the EMS system and presented more challenges.
The Ad Hoc EMS Study Committee will feature members of EMS agencies and all the municipalities across Chippewa County. The resolution lists each member, from Bloomer City Administrator Sandi Frion to Chippewa Falls Councilman Dan Dixon to Lafayette Town Chairman Dave Staber.
“This group will concentrate on identifying service challenges, improving coordination among providers, and offering strategies to enhance sustainability. The EMS Provider Workgroup’s input will be provided to the Ad Hoc EMS Study Committee for consideration as part of its final report.”
Other county business
The county board also will review its financial audit at tonight’s meeting. The audit report will review the county’s financial numbers from January through September.
County Administrator Andy Albarado also will establish a new non-lapsing account for the County Clerk’s office.
“A County Clerk Elections fund with a cap of $20,000 will be allowed to address the inconsistent election cycles and turnout for elections,” Albarado wrote in a budget memo to the county board. “In some years there may only be one election and in other years there may be four depending on the need for a primary. The turnout for elections can also vary depending on local, state, and federal races.”
Establishing a fund will allow the clerk to carry funds forward from years with less election costs to years where there will be increased costs, Albarado wrote.
“In addition, it will allow the accurate tracking of expenses so that costs can be accounted for in the year which they are intended to be spent,” he wrote.
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