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Edna Township - Perham Area EMS

This page provides access to the current Joint Powers Agreement, proposed amendments currently under consideration, and details regarding the evolution of emergency medical services in our area.

 

Since its establishment in 1990, Perham Area EMS has evolved from a volunteer-based unit into a professional 24/7 Advanced Life Support (ALS) provider. This growth has been driven by a significant increase in community need, from 286 calls in 1995 to 1,702 calls in 2025. 

 

To provide these emergency services, member communities, including Edna Township, operate under a Joint Powers Agreement that dictates how the service is operated and funded.

Current Joint Powers Agreement

Click here for a PDF of the current Joint Powers Agreement established in 2011.

Joint Powers Agreement - Proposed Amendments

Click here for a PDF of proposed amendments to the Joint Powers Agreement currently being considered for ratification (it does not yet include the proposed amendment by Edna Township that will be voted on at the next meeting.)

The forumula used to determine each Member's contribution

Each member community’s annual contribution is calculated using a population based formula, as required in the Joint Powers Agreement. Because a substantial portion of the cost of an ambulance is being ready for a call 24/7, that cost has been divided based on the people that could potentially need the ambulance. In simple terms, this means:

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  • Total annual ambulance operating costs (or the approved subsidy) are established by the Joint Powers Board. This is the gap between the revenue generated by EMS responses, and the actual cost to provide 24:7 ambulance service. The board may also approve additional capital purchases. In 2026, the operating subsidy provided by the joint powers board is about 15% of the total budget. 

  • Each city or township then pays a percentage of that total based on their share of overall ambulance responses from the prior year.

  • The percentage for each city or township is based off a combination of year-round and seasonal population. Year-round population is weighted more heavily at 70%, while seasonal population is weighted at 30%. 

 

This approach aligns financial responsibility with how benefits from having an ambulance available. The formula was designed to be transparent, equitable, and data-driven and was reviewed in 2024 by a committee of board members from various townships and cities. About 82% of ambulance revenue is from patient or insurance payments for ambulance responses.

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Prior to 2024, no direct financial contributions were required from member communities. The first operating subsidy was approved by the Board in August 2023 for implementation in 2024.

A short history of the Joint Powers Agreement

Ambulance services in the Perham area originally operated as part of the Perham Fire Department and were provided at the Basic Life Support (BLS) level, largely by volunteers.

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As service demands grew, a Joint Powers Board was formally established in 1990, along with a management agreement with Perham Health to supply paramedics for inter-facility transfers. This marked the beginning of a more structured approach to EMS.

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By 1996, the service recruited its own paramedics and transitioned to providing 24/7/365 Advanced Life Support (ALS) coverage.

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The growth in service demand over time has been significant:

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  • In 1995, the service responded to 286 ambulance requests.

  • By 2025, annual responses had increased to 1,702 calls.

 

The most recent version of the Joint Powers Agreement was adopted in 2011. For many years, formal financial contributions were not necessary because:

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  • A substantial portion of services were provided by volunteers

  • Call volumes were much lower

  • The scope of care was less advanced

  • Reimbursement rates from insurance were more closely aligned with operating costs

 

Over time, however, several factors changed:

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  • Call volume increased dramatically making it impossible for the service to be run entirely by volunteers.

  • ALS services expanded, requiring higher staffing and training levels

  • Operating expenses rose with inflation

  • Insurance reimbursements failed to keep pace with the true cost of care

 

These pressures ultimately led the Board to approve the first operating subsidy in August 2023, beginning in 2024, to ensure the long-term sustainability of ambulance services for all member communities.

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