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Northwest Iowa town losing ambulance service

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February 9th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

OYENS, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa town is losing its ambulance service because of a lack of volunteers. KTIV reports Oyens, Iowa, is going to have to rely on the nearby towns of Le Mars and Remsen to provide ambulance service. But that will likely mean slower responses to emergencies. Oyens Ambulance Director Dan Cronin says it’s hard to attract new volunteers. There aren’t many people willing to commit the time needed to become certified.

Cronin says he hopes to assemble a group of volunteers later this year who are willing to serve as first responders in medical emergencies. Those people could help stabilize patients until an ambulance arrives.