(STURGIS) – The City of Sturgis will have ambulance service in 2022, and it will be provided by the Sturgis Fire Department.

Monday night, the Sturgis City Commission approved budget amendments to create an Ambulance Fund in the budget. This would allow the Fire Department to purchase two ambulances and hire the needed personnel to staff the units.

Sturgis Director of Public Safety Ryan Banaszak (bah-NAZ-ick) shares what plan the Fire Department will follow. ...... {LISTEN}.

Banaszak says he would need to hire more staff to be able to man the new units. ...... {LISTEN}.

Banaszak says the service would only be for the City of Sturgis, and possibly for mutual aid. He said they would transport patients to four area hospitals: Sturgis Hospital, ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital, Three Rivers Health and Parkview LaGrange.

The current contract with Life Care Ambulance and the City of Sturgis expires April 30, 2022. The new ambulance service will start on May 1.