Ambulance money to be divided among towns

With the City of Sundance bowing out of the ambulance business, the county commissioners considered on Wednesday what should be done with the $2666.75 that has been given each year as the county’s contribution to running the city’s service.

The county allocates the same amount to each of the towns on an annual basis. Moorcroft, Pine Haven and Hulett all maintain volunteer ambulance services and have seen no change to their operations, so there will be no change to the contribution made by the county.

Sundance’s ambulance service, however, is now provided by Crook County Medical Services District. It’s a paid service, rather than volunteer, with the biggest difference to the other town services being that Sundance’s ambulances generally do all the transfers to hospitals in other towns.

Should the county continue to give money to Sundance’s ambulance service in the future? Commissioner Jeanne Whalen questioned whether it should be given directly to the district “to use for the ambulances”.

Commissioner Fred Devish, however, felt strongly that the district is already tax-supported, whereas the three volunteer ambulance services in the other towns are not. He suggested splitting the money three ways between the other towns instead.

With no resistance to this idea from Devish’s fellow commissioners, a motion was passed to reallocate the $2666.75 between the Hulett, Pine Haven and Moorcroft services.