2008 Municipal Winner

City of Eau Claire - Regional Emergency Medical Service

Prior to March 2008, city of Eau Claire fire and rescue provided fire and paramedic level ambulance service to city residents, and occasionally, surrounding areas under mutual aid agreements. When a private ambulance service that had provided primary 911 response for surrounding municipalities reduced their business hours, the result was an increase in demands on city services. In addition, very little coordination existed between private service providers and outlying first responders, with medical protocols and responder capabilities varying greatly.

Beginning in the summer of 2007, support began to coalesce between Eau Claire city council members, the medical community and other stakeholders for a fully integrated, regional response system to serve two cities, a village and nine towns in the area.  Leaders developed a proposal to have the city provide paramedic level ambulance service; provide common training and licensing for first responders and actively involve three local hospitals in training and coordination of the system.

As of June 2008, the city had executed five-year signed contracts with all cities, towns and villages for the provision of regional medical services. In addition, five year contracts for medical support in the form of grants from the three hospitals were executed as well.  The local governments pay set fees based on population, but are eligible for rebates if fees are paid in full. The city modified its standard ambulance fees to keep annual costs lower for surrounding communities.

 

2008 Towns Winner

Town of River Falls - Park Plan

The town of River Falls is a community of 2,399. The Town is located in the St. Croix River Valley, approximately 30 miles east of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area. Adjacent to the City of River Falls, the town is about 8 miles northeast of the City of Prescott. Although the town has a rural atmosphere, it is served by and well connected to larger urban areas by its transportation routes. Improvements to the surrounding roadways are planned and it is suspected this will only increase residential housing.

The Town has been experiencing significant growth in recent years and has concerns about the impact of this new growth and the need to better plan for and manage it. In a Community Attitudes Survey conducted by Pierce County, 68.2% of the town residents indicated a need for more recreational facilities.

To address these concerns, the Town of River Falls Park and Recreation Committee was formed  to acquire, develop, and maintain a creative, efficient, and responsive park system available to all residents and non-residents. However, due to signficant budget constraints, the committee has had to completely on volunteer efforts and donations to accomplish its goals.