09/17/2026
Very Well Said!
A Conversation About Rural EMS
Many of you are seeing posts on social media stating that an ambulance service was “unable to get a crew.” We understand why seeing that can be concerning or even frightening. You naturally start wondering, what happens if that's my family calling 911?
First, there is some important context that doesn't always make it into a scanner or social media post.
When one EMS service is unable to assemble a crew, our 911 dispatchers don't stop looking for help. They immediately begin working through neighboring services and other available resources to get help responding. Law enforcement, fire departments, first responders, mutual aid ambulances and other resources may also become part of that response.
But we also aren't going to pretend there isn't a problem.
This is something we are seeing more and more in our rural areas, and Iowa County is certainly not alone. A quick search of news and social media shows rural communities elsewhere are having the same difficult conversations about staffing ambulances and finding enough people to answer the call.
Many of our rural fire and EMS departments depend heavily on volunteers and part-time responders. These are people leaving their jobs, families, dinners, kids' activities and beds in the middle of the night because someone they may not even know needs help.
There are simply fewer people available to do it, and the calls don't stop coming, in fact they are increasing.
Our Sheriff's Office is also looking at additional medical training, equipment and capabilities we can safely put in the hands of our deputies because they are often among the first to arrive. That doesn't make a deputy an ambulance, nor should it. During emergencies we have had deputies or dispatchers delivering life-saving instructions or care for extended period of times.
So when you see one of these posts on social media, don't panic. Our dispatchers are still working behind the scenes to get resources coming. But don't ignore what those posts are telling us either.
We have to have some tough conversations ahead about the future of rural EMS. This isn't about pointing fingers at an ambulance service or the people volunteering their time. We support them 100 percent, but know they can't do it all. It's about recognizing the problem, supporting the people who are still answering the call, and figuring out together what comes next.
And if you've ever considered volunteering with your local fire or EMS department, maybe this is your sign to make that call.
Someday, the person waiting for help could be any one of us.
Sheriff Michael Peterson
