The newly formed Sugar River Emergency Medical Services District has been awarded a Wisconsin Innovation Fund grant that could provide more than $1.2 million over the next five years as the regional ambulance service prepares to begin operations June 30.

The grant comes just days before the new district is scheduled to formally begin service, marking the culmination of a multi-community effort to create a regional emergency medical services system serving portions of southern Dane and northern Green counties.

The district is comprised of the villages of Belleville and New Glarus, along with the towns of Exeter, Montrose and New Glarus and portions of the towns of Oregon and Brooklyn.

The Wisconsin Innovation Fund award makes the seven participating communities eligible to receive annual payments of $241,209 for five years, totaling approximately $1.206 million. Grant dollars must be reinvested directly into emergency medical services and can be used to support costs associated with the new regional organization.

"This grant is recognition by the State of Wisconsin that communities are better served when they work together to improve services that citizens depend upon," New Glarus Village Administrator Kelsey Jenson said in a release announcing the award. Jenson described the collaboration as a model that could be replicated in other rural Wisconsin communities.

The grant recognizes a growing trend across Wisconsin as communities seek new ways to sustain ambulance services amid rising costs, workforce shortages and increasing call volumes. Many rural and small-town EMS organizations have struggled in recent years to recruit and retain emergency medical technicians and paramedics while also maintaining round-the-clock ambulance coverage.

Rather than continuing to operate separate ambulance systems, officials from the participating municipalities spent several months developing a regional model designed to pool staffing, equipment and financial resources. Supporters say the approach will improve efficiency, strengthen coverage and help ensure long-term sustainability for emergency medical services in the area.

According to Sugar River EMS, the district will launch with more than 80 emergency medical responders staffing ambulances 24 hours a day from stations in Belleville and New Glarus. The agency currently operates three ambulances — Rescues 48, 49 and 50 — along with two rapid response vehicles, Car 5 and Car 6. A fourth ambulance, Rescue 51, is expected to enter service in the coming weeks.

Belleville Village Administrator Drew Eveland called the grant "a testament to what can happen when neighboring communities come together to solve challenges collectively," while Sugar River EMS Chief Chris Backes said the state's investment will benefit patients and families throughout the region for years to come.

Sugar River EMS Deputy Chief Josh Wescott said innovations such as regionalized ambulance services can help improve response times and medical outcomes for residents regardless of where they live.

With the grant funding secured and the district preparing to begin operations, local leaders say the Sugar River EMS model demonstrates how neighboring communities can work together to address one of the most pressing public safety challenges facing rural Wisconsin.

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