Rural North Dakota EMS services struggling with lack of support

(Bismarck,ND) -- A shortage of EMS workers is hitting the most rural parts of North Dakota particularly hard.

The North Dakota EMS Association says emergency response crews are left overwhelmed by long response times and short-staffed teams. This means long wait times when people in rural areas have emergencies, when every second counts.

The association says loss of population in rural areas, and the amount of hours it takes out of a person's day to be an EMS volunteer are both big factors leading to the shortage.