‘Sprint Medic Pilot Program’ set to hit the road in northern St Louis County

3 hours ago

Emily Halling, Adam Jagunich,

VIRGINIA, Minn.– The Sprint Medic Pilot program is hitting the road, in northern St Louis County, its main goal is to improve medical response times in rural areas.

The Minnesota Legislature funded the Sprint Medic Pilot Program back in 2024, aiming to provide life-saving emergency care across northern St. Louis County.

But now, starting Monday, the program will have an upgraded set of wheels.

“These SUVs are essentially a mobile critical care unit. We’ve outfitted them with transport ventilators, Lucas, CPR machines. We have our cardiac monitor defibrillators, which offer advanced cardiac monitoring,” said Erik Jonassen, Deputy Fire Chief, City of Virginia.

Jonassen said, this program isn’t brand new, and over the years it’s been implemented across the country.

“Having an advanced life support chase vehicle is new to Minnesota, especially northern Minnesota. It’s been done around the country for many years now, but taking the ambulance out of it and putting a paramedic in what is essentially a critical care chase vehicle allows them to respond quicker,” said Jonassen.

And with the northern St Louis County spanning over 7,200 square miles, an official with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said, it will fix issues the department has noticed.

” What this is intended to do is a couple of things. Is one to provide the higher level of care, but two to help the rural EMS agencies, volunteer agencies that are struggling to staff and provide staffing levels during the day,” said Dewey Johnson, Emergency Support Services Administrator, St Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

The program is funded through a 2.7-million-dollar grant supporting a two-year operational period.

The funding covers operating costs, vehicles, and medical equipment.

Johnson said, they are more than prepared with over six months of training.

“They’ll be out there running calls. So, if you’re going to see them in your communities, feel free to stop and say hi and ask them what they’re doing and that relationship building,” said Johnson.