Ground was broken in Hot Springs today for the construction of a new ambulance service building. Today, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Deputy Administrator for Single Family Housing Joyce Allen joined Hot Springs Ambulance Service, Inc., federal, state and local officials to break ground on the construction of a new ambulance service building. The funding was provided by USDA Rural Development through a loan of $2.6 million leveraged with a Community Development Block Grant from the state of South Dakota in the amount of $400,000 and an application contribution of $750,000 for a total project cost of $3,750,000.
“This project fully supports President Obama’s commitment to invest in improved infrastructure and is a prime example of how Rural Development programs can assist with the development of essential community services,” said Allen. “When completed, the facility will support the Hot Springs Ambulance Service, Inc.’s ability to respond, treat, transport and train in one easy accessible location.”
The ambulance service building will be 12,866 square feet. The core areas for the proposed facility include administrative and training areas, staff housing, and ambulance bays. The facility will serve a number of important community functions such as an incident command center for emergencies, training for health care workers, community members, emergency medical technicians, and paramedic students. The community of Hot Springs is primarily a retirement community and is 56 miles from the nearest tertiary health care facility. The ambulance service serves a large 685 square-mile service area encompassing parts of Custer and Fall River Counties. The facility will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Randy Stombaugh, President of the Hot Springs Ambulance Service, Inc. says this project has been a labor of love. Everyone on the Service has given their all to make sure that this project comes to fruition. The members have been involved from the inception of the project through collection of the survey data, project design, and finally the ground breaking and construction. We are all proud to be a part of expanding and improving the needed and deserving medical services to the community of Hot Springs.
The project was funded through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Loan Program. USDA Rural Development in South Dakota has offices in Aberdeen, Huron, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Watertown, and Yankton. For more information, visit the USDA Rural Development website at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/sd.
The Administration’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. These investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values.