Future of ambulance service in Richland County to be studied

A study has begun on the future of the ambulance service in Richland County. The plan is to have the study completed by the end of March. It is the hope that by the end of April, the county determines its role in the operation of ambulance services in 2027.

In addition to the study, the county continues to have discussions with the municipalities on the future of the ambulance service. There are three main options being pursued: continuing with status quo and the service being a county department, contracting with a third-party provider or the creation of a district with the district contracting with a third party or them taking over the operations of the service. The December meeting focused on what a District would look like. The meeting in January had a third-party provider give an overview of their service and shared what it would look like if they were here.

The February meeting was to focus on what a county run service would look like beyond 2027. That discussion quickly shifted to a discussion on the desire of the municipalities served by the Richland Ambulance Service to have the county create a countywide service to fund the Richland Ambulance Service outside of the levy limit. Due to the request of most municipalities in attendance, this topic will be discussed at the Tuesday, March 10, Executive & Finance Committee meeting.

Creating a countywide ambulance service is not a decision the county will take lightly as it will impact all county property owners. The March 10th meeting will be the first time this topic will be discussed at the board level.

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