Ringdahl decision a ‘huge concern’ for Vergas EMS
News | Published on July 7, 2026 at 11:15am EDT | Author: frazeevergas
0County stepping in to protect coverage area
By Robert Williams
Editor
Area emergency response units and those they serve could be greatly affected in 2027 by a financial decision made by Ringdahl Ambulance, including the communities of Vergas, Perham and Frazee.
“I’m guessing they cover half of our area; it’s a huge concern,” said CDH-Vergas Fire & Rescue Chief Jeff Zitzow.
In March 2026, Ringdahl Ambulance notified cities and townships within its Primary Service Area (PSA) of significant financial shortfalls. An informational session followed in April 2026 to explore options available under Minnesota law. State statute allows counties to support EMS providers through a joint powers agreement, special taxing district, or subordinate service district.
“It will affect us,” Zitzow said. “We just don’t know how, for sure yet. We’re hoping lines get redrawn a bit and Perham will cover more and St. Mary’s in Detroit Lakes. We’re still waiting to hear more on it.”
In June, Ringdahl Ambulance formally notified the Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services that it does not intend to renew its Primary Service Area license for the Pelican Rapids service area (License No. 0192) upon its expiration in 2027. The notice was provided well in advance to allow adequate time for service continuity planning. Otter Tail County is acting on that timeline to protect residents from any gap in emergency coverage.
The Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners has directed staff to pursue the creation of a Subordinate Service District (SSD) to ensure emergency medical services (EMS) continue in the Pelican Rapids area. The action follows months of collaboration with local townships and cities after Ringdahl Ambulance Pelican Rapids notified communities that financial challenges threatened its ability to sustain services.
Commissioner Wayne Johnson led outreach efforts to townships and cities within the Ringdahl Ambulance PSA. Those conversations made it clear that communities prefer the SSD model under Minnesota Chapter 375B. An SSD is a compact and contiguous district within a county. Under this structure, the county could apply for a PSA license, contract with an EMS provider through a request for proposals (RFP) and set property taxes or parcel fees to fund the service.
“The communities I represent made one thing very clear: emergency medical services are not optional. When someone calls 911, help has to come,” said Johnson (District 2). “I’m grateful for the partnership we’ve built with our townships and cities, and I’m committed to making sure the Pelican Rapids area has the reliable EMS coverage it deserves.”
On Thursday, June 11, County Administrator Nicole Hansen, along with Commissioners Johnson and Sean Sullivan, County Attorney Michelle Eldien, and Emergency Manager Patrick Waletzko, met with Ringdahl Ambulance representatives Ken Krupich and Adam Parker. Ringdahl Ambulance expressed a desire to continue serving the area but confirmed that financial constraints prevent it from renewing its PSA license, which expires in March 2027.
Commissioner Johnson reiterated, “Our residents in the Pelican Rapids area deserve to know that help is on the way when they need it most. This is a critical service, and the county is taking proactive steps to make sure there is no gap in coverage. The strong support we’ve seen from local townships and cities reflects just how important this issue is to the entire community.”
The county notes that two small portions of the Ringdahl Ambulance PSA fall within Wilkin County and cannot be included in an SSD. The county will explore alternative mechanisms, such as a joint powers agreement or contract arrangement, to ensure those areas also receive coverage.
Staff will now move forward with the steps required to establish the SSD, including the formal application process and engagement with the Office of EMS. The county will continue to keep affected communities informed as the process develops.
Could Frazee
Rescue help?
The coverage map for Frazee rescue is predominantly north of town. The squad covers an area that goes as far as 27 miles north. There is also a working relationship with Carsonville Fire & Rescue, which extends the coverage area even further. Because of the proximity of the Becker/Otter Tail County line, Frazee Rescue barely ever leaves city limits in the other direction.
“We barely go a few hundred yards south of town because of where the county line is, unless they ask us to go to something down there,” said Frazee Rescue Chief Matthew Johnson. “If Otter Tail (County) doesn’t page us or Vergas doesn’t request that we go we don’t even know about it.”
Johnson explained how the agreement with Carsonville is a mutual page zone, especially around the northern part of Height o’ Land Township. The going rule is whoever gets there first and decisions are made on the fly if everyone is needed or not.
Confusion on a lack of coverage is compounded by the fact the rescue squad does not charge for calls.
“It’s weird when you start crossing that imaginary line that’s called a county jurisdiction,” Johnson said.
That claim is even more true when the Hobart Township line is one mile from downtown Frazee.
“I’d love if we were going south into Hobart (Township); from a practical purpose, if we took a map into a preschool class and told the preschoolers to go and draw a line from which department should be going to a motor vehicle crash right here a preschooler could figure it out,” said Johnson. “I’ve been in charge of the rescue squad for two years here and we’ve yet to get anything accomplished with that down there.”
Hobart Township even sends a $500 donation to Frazee Rescue despite not being served.
“I appreciate it, but I feel bad because we don’t go to anything if we don’t get paged down there,” Johnson said.
The first call in Hobart, since Johnson took over, was a week ago at the crash at U.S. Highway 10 and Otter Tail County Road 10.
“Our response time is phenomenal there; it’s not a straight shot from Vergas,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he has an open door policy for his rescue colleagues in Vergas.
“If they need us to respond to anything there, just page us and we’ll show up,” he said.
“It gives the people double the chance of people responding plus it gives them the chance of availability in general, and a quicker response time,” said Johnson. “I don’t know what the right answer is.”
Frazee Rescue routinely does not get paged to accidents on the U.S. Highway 10 corridor near town and that is simply because they are not contacted and have no control over that.
“We’re very fortunate in Frazee that we’re right in between Perham and Detroit Lakes,” said Johnson. “If I have someone who needs to go to the hospital and they’re being transported they get their choice.”
Frazee Rescue is already plenty busy having responded to 164 calls this year, 18 more than this time in 2025. However, Johnson noted it is not about work volume when it comes to what they do.
“We don’t need more work but if I was the person that needed help I’d want someone to show up,” he said. “If we don’t do it, who is going to do it?”