The Onida Fire Department, Inc.

09/23/2026

09/22/2026

🚑 Ever wonder why an ambulance might load a patient, close the doors… and then just sit there?

Chances are, we’re not just sitting there.

Once a patient is inside the ambulance, the crew has an entire mobile emergency room at their fingertips—cardiac monitors, medications, IV supplies, airway equipment, and much more.

Sometimes, before we ever put the ambulance in drive, we need a few minutes to:

🩺 Assess the patient
❤️ Check vital signs or run an EKG
💉 Start an IV or give medications
🫁 Manage breathing or other immediate concerns
🏥 Determine the best hospital for that patient

That last one is important.

Not every hospital provides the same level of care for every emergency. A stroke, major trauma, or cardiac emergency may require a specific destination—and what we find during our assessment can completely change where we go.

Could we do some of this while driving?Absolutely.

But some things are a whole lot easier—and safer—when we aren't bouncing down the road. 😂

So, the next time you see an ambulance sitting in front of a house after the patient has been loaded, remember:

We’re not wasting time. We’re using it. 🚑💙

09/09/2026

Some photos from our training night, along with a few action photos from the summer!

08/03/2026

07/19/2026

We want to thank Jordan Heumiller and Mid Dakota Rural Water Systems for putting on a training showing how to free flow water, out of the Mid Dakota clean outs, to our drop tanks.