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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Ambulance Commission discusses raising subsidy rate from $15 to $20

Jodi Summit
Posted 1/21/21

TOWER- A proposal to raise the 2021 per capita subsidy rate from $15 to $20, which helps fund the purchase of new ambulances, will be forwarded from the representatives of the Tower Ambulance …

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Ambulance Commission discusses raising subsidy rate from $15 to $20

Posted

TOWER- A proposal to raise the 2021 per capita subsidy rate from $15 to $20, which helps fund the purchase of new ambulances, will be forwarded from the representatives of the Tower Ambulance Commission to their respective governmental bodies for approval.
The former head of the city’s ambulance service, Steve Altenburg, had requested an increase in the ambulance subsidy last year, but that request was denied and the commission instead opted to approve a one-year agreement at the previous rate of $15.
But this year, with the department under new leadership and the commission feeling more informed about the finances and management of the service, the request for an increase in the subsidy was met on a more positive note.
The Tower Ambulance Commission consists of representatives from each of the governmental units in the ambulance’s service area. The subsidy payments are put into a dedicated ambulance replacement fund. The department purchased a new ambulance in 2019 at a cost of approximately $250,000. That account currently has $43,066 plus a $7,477 payment from the city of Tower to reimburse the fund for ambulance mileage on non-emergency transfer calls.
The ambulance put on 7,477 transfer miles in 2020, with over 4,000 of the miles in January and February, before the commission asked the department to stop taking non-essential transfer calls because of the wear and tear placed on the ambulances. Since that time, according to the new Ambulance Director Dena Suihkonen, non-emergency transfers have mostly been for local residents. The service did see an increase in transfer miles in November and December, a total of 1,511 miles, many related to COVID-19 patients. The ambulance service also provides transfer service for residents at the local assisted living facility, who need to be transported to or from area hospitals.
“In our community we have to take care of our members who are living here,” Suihkonen said.
A question was raised by Eagles Nest representative Larry McCray who said the transfer miles noted for January and February did not match mileage numbers previously reported. Suihkonen said the mileage numbers were taken from the submitted run reports but said she would doublecheck.
Suihkonen said the service is mostly using the new ambulance, Rig Two, for wintertime transfers because the heat on the older rig is not sufficient to keep the staff and patients warm during colder weather. This also is giving the service a chance to test out all the ambulance features while the unit is under warranty, and the service has had the company come to Tower to fix an issue with the backup cameras.
The state of the department’s two “back-up” ambulances was a concern to commission members. Both are rated in poor condition. One unit, the 2005 rig, has been put in storage for the winter. The 2013 rig has 108,450 miles and needs emission system repairs.
Suihkonen told the commission members she was working with grant writer Nancy Larson and would be submitting a grant for funding for a new ambulance later this month.
Raising the annual per capita subsidy payment to $20 would bring in $53,160 a year compared to $39,870 currently. In addition, Bois Forte has been contributing $5,000 a year, and the city of Tower, as of 2020, makes payments to the fund based on transfer mileage.

Fortune Bay subsidy amount
McCray asked why the commission was not asking Fortune Bay for an increase in their annual contribution to the subsidy account.
“We had 77 calls to Fortune Bay in 2019,” McCray said, “the second largest in 2019.”
Suihkonen noted that there were only 46 calls to Fortune Bay in 2020.
“They have been hit hard by the COVID closures,” she noted.
McCray said he felt that Fortune Bay’s contribution was too low, and said he thought the payment should be based on the average number of calls compared to other municipalities.
But others noted this was not a reliable way to set funding for the subsidy account and would also set a precedent for other small townships in the service area which do not have high call volumes.
Suihkonen reminded the commission that Fortune Bay was in the ambulance service area.
“We are not going to stop going there,” she said.
“Greenwood Township pays based on their population, which includes the reservation population,” said Bois Forte Representative Josh Villebrun, who said he would bring the matter to the tribal council, which sets the annual donation. Bois Forte also makes annual donations to area fire departments.