Ambulance services across South Dakota are getting a major upgrade, thanks to federal COVID relief funding. Through a $7.5 million grant program managed by the state Department of Health, local providers have purchased life-saving tools like motorized cots, stair chairs, EMT training kits, and high-tech mannequins used for emergency simulations.
The funding came in three phases. First: tablets in ambulances to connect paramedics directly to doctors. Then, LIFEPAK monitors and defibrillators were distributed statewide. Finally, grants went directly to providers, allowing agencies to request the specific gear and training they need.
With an aging volunteer base and heavier patients, those motorized people-movers have made a big difference. Leaders like Alan Perry from Lennox EMS say they’ve helped make transfers safer and easier.
The state’s also tackling one bigger issue: how to keep ambulances available locally when they’re busy transferring non-emergency patients between hospitals. A $500,000 grant aims to solve that by creating a centralized system where nearby agencies can pick up transfer requests—reducing gaps in coverage and improving efficiency.
So far, the grants have helped dozens of communities, and lawmakers are now studying how to sustain EMS for the long haul.”
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