Pay for cops and ambulance compensation discussed at Tuesday’s city council meeting

Babbitt’s ambulance department may see a financial boost from the Minnesota Department of Health’s new pilot program for non-transfer calls.

The program offers $9.2 million statewide in grants and will offer 15-40 awards to rural departments, each estimated within the $35,000 - $750,000 range. Grant agreements are anticipated to begin on Oct. 1.

Of the approximately 275 calls that Babbitt first responders respond to annually, assistant ambulance director Rebekah Littler estimates that about 25-30 are not transferred to a hospital.