West River Ambulance Squad

West River Ambulance

Since it's inception in 1944, West River Ambulance Service has been an innovator in rural emergency medicine.  West River volunteers were the first in North Dakota to receive formalized training back in 1968.  In 1987 West River was the first volunteer service in the state to employ a full time paramedic and thus provide Advanced Life Support to the area.  Currently we are an Advanced Life Support service liscenced in both North and South Dakota.  At present, we have two full time paramedics and are looking to fill a third position. Our volunteers include 11 EMT Basics, 4 EMT Intermediates, 2 North Dakota First Responders and 3 CPR Drivers.

We are a unique hospital based, volunteer service with an average 265 calls per year. Our service area is considered "Frontier" and covers 2,500 square miles and several counties. Several First Responders are scattered throughout our service area providing quicker access to care. Most of our service area is covered by 911 dispatch in either North or South Dakota although there is a small exchange that requires local calling.  In addition to local responses,  we frequently transfer patients to Bismarck and Rapid City but have gone as far as Watertown, S.D., Billings, MT, Minneapolis and Rochester MN. Our primary rig is a 1996 Medtech we plan to replace this year, we also run a 2000 Wheeled Coach and most transfers are done in a 2003 AEV.

West River Ambulance Service and its members hold a long list of awards past and present including the current state EMT of the Year and 2006 Instructor of the Year.

We are very proud to provide public and private First Aid and CPR classes, First Responder, EMT Basic and Intermediate as well as Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support classes.

Our volunteers reflect the spirit of southwest North Dakota with sincere pride and "git er' done" attitude. They are a dedicated crossection representing business, agriculture, education and healthcare. Many of our members are long time volunteers with five, ten, twenty years and more of caring for friends and neighbors in their hour of need. Our committment to a six minute call-to-enroute time speaks to the sacrifices family members of  these providers have made as well. As the  wife of a crew member stated recently,  "We truly take care of each other out here."