Richland County board keeps ambulance service local through 2028, urges municipalities to pursue an EMS district

Richland County Board of Supervisors voted June 16 to authorize the county'owned ambulance service to continue providing county-wide emergency medical services beginning Jan. 1, 2027 and ending Dec. 31, 2028, while asking municipal leaders to explore forming an EMS district to assume service in the future.

The decision followed more than two hours of public comment and extended presentations from four bidders: Amplify Health, Life Star, Gundersen (regional partner), and the county'run Richland County Ambulance. Dozens of residents and local providers urged the board to preserve local control; others asked the board to consider the financial and staffing realities that favor regional providers.

"To be thoughtful about the decision for the long term: a choice to secure an outside provider likely closes the door on ever going back to local provided services," said Ken Nelson of Richland Hospital and Clinics, urging the board to weigh community ties. Rachel Ward, an advanced EMT with Richland County Ambulance, said the county'run service had near-zero mutual-aid requests this year and warned that dissolving local service ''will cause our citizens to suffer.'

Presenters disagreed on whether contracting an outside provider would improve response times. Amplify Health's Dr. Chris Erbelding emphasized paramedic-level ALS, centralized QA and dispatch (EMD), and telehealth tools, arguing the company's scale yields clinical and operational advantages. "When you call 911 you should get the same service as you do in a metropolitan area," he said, arguing a regional system can maintain dedicated paramedic coverage. Life Star emphasized local responsiveness and training experience in similar rural markets.

Richland County EMS leaders, represented by Barbara Scott and Administrator Trisha Clements, framed the county option around local accountability, interoperability with Richland Hospital, and community relationships. They presented budget estimates showing the county-run option would require roughly $957,459 in levy support in year one (to cover ambulance remounts and startup capital) and an estimated $682,950 per year in years two through five, with a plan to set aside funds for vehicle replacement.

Board members debated alternatives including a county subsidy of a private provider, a multi-municipal EMS district, and placing a binding, contingent referendum on the ballot. County counsel told the board that Wisconsin law no longer allows advisory referendums; any public vote would need to be contingent and binding.

After multiple amendments and a roll-call vote, the board passed the amended resolution authorizing the county ambulance service to operate through Dec. 31, 2028 and authorizing levy authority outside the county's levy limit to fund the operation. The move was accompanied by a directive from the chair and several supervisors to help municipalities form or consider a district; supervisors also asked that a committee track progress and report on scheduled milestones.

What happens next: the county will operate the service under the adopted resolution while staff, municipal leaders and an ad hoc committee work on district exploration, financing and milestones. The board asked that municipal leaders and county staff meet and produce interim updates as the district exploration proceeds; if municipalities choose a district arrangement before the end of 2028, the service could transition earlier.

Resolution details: the board adopted Resolution 26-34 (as amended), which directs county administrators to operate the Richland County Ambulance Service Jan. 1, 2027'Dec. 31, 2028 and authorizes the county to levy funds outside levy limits to pay for the service. The board approved the resolution by roll-call vote; the clerk recorded an affirmative vote from those present.