We are lucky to be able to reprint this story that was first published in the October 30, 2023 issue of the Cass County Reporter when it featured Casselton Rural Ambulance Service as part of its Salute to Emergency Responders; a special section inserted into the newspaper. To stay on top of all the latest Casselton news, we recommend a subscription to our hometown newspaper.
The Casselton Rural Ambulance District recently purchased a brand new ambulance.
The 2023 E450 Super Duty Ford Chassis was retrofitted into an ambulance in Ohio and received in Casselton less than a month ago.
Ambulance Board member Adrian Kieffer said the $200,000 investment will benefit the community by providing reliability.

Casselton Rural Ambulance District Board Member Adrian Kieffer stands next to the new 2023 E450 Super Duty Ford ambulance rig the district purchased less than a month ago. (Photo by Angela Kolden)
“We needed to replace the old one. We’ve had four breakdowns with it while on runs. Two with patients on board. Everything worked out OK, but the need for a new ambulance was tremendous.”
Having the new rig will also generate peace of mind for the ambulance district personnel.
“This new addition will reduce stress among personnel because they don’t have to worry about a breakdown,” said Kieffer, who is one of a five member board.
Other board members are Jerry Marx, Lori Grommesh, Mary McIntyre and Jim Jaeger.
In addition to the board, the ambulance district has the support of a management agreement with Ringdahl EMS. This partnership -- which is a combination of paid and volunteer members -- provides 24 hour a day, 7 day a week coverage to over 740 square miles of rural Cass County, extending north to County Road 4, south to Hwy 46, West to Barnes County and east to the Meridian in Mapleton.
A vote last November, approved the formation of a tax district that provides the addition of 6 mills to the ambulance district’s operating budget.
With a board that strives to be financial efficient, Kieffer said it has Jim Jaeger to thank for his diligence in finding the ambulance. It came with a cost savings of about $80,000.
“Plus if we would’ve had to order it, it would have been 2 1/2 years out before we got it.”
Keiffer said the rig is not a diesel, which is something different, but so far personnel has reported a quieter cab that makes communication easier.
The new ambulance is also rigged with a power load cot featuring a battery-powered hydraulic system that raises and lowers the cot at the touch of a button.
“This will probably save us a work comp claim in the future,” Kieffer said, bestowing the benefits of the automated system.
The interior design was also reconfigured to allow improved patient access so that personnel can work on the patient from each side.

Crew safety was also considered in the new design, providing harnesses for the personnel so they are secured while working on patients.
The 2023 ambulance will serve along with the 2012 ambulance as primary transport units with the 2004 used only as back up.
Currently the Casselton Rural Ambulance District operates as a part-time ALS (Advanced Life Support) service that sometimes operates as a BLS (Basic Life Support) service.
The difference between the two designations is that ALS requires a paramedic be on board which allows them to perform on board everything a hospital emergency room can do to stabilize a patient.
Kieffer said there has been a paramedic shortage for ambulance districts because of the need for paramedics in hospitals.
Currently a Casselton Rural Ambulance District EMT is on track to complete Paramedic training. Once that happens, the district will be a 24/7 ALS service.
“We’re thinking about the future and what that looks like,” Kieffer said. “This year we are on track to complete 400 runs. The number of runs has steadily grown by about 35 runs annually since COVID. The town is growing and the Interstate is getting busier.”