For the present, anyway, Riley County has an emergency vehicle back in service in Randolph. That's subject to change on short notice.

County emergency service representatives are expected to talk to the Randolph City Council next Wednesday about the general subject of maintaining emergency service vehicles in the north county area. But Larry Couchman, director of the county EMS service, Thursday cautioned county commissioners that emergency vehicles can be moved from small towns virtually at any time if the needs of the larger area dictate doing so.

That's what happened recently when two county ambulances broke down just as Country Stampede was about to start. In order to maintain sufficient service, Couchman was forced to pull emergency service vehicles from Randolph and Riley to compensate for the loss of the two ambulances in the county's more populated areas.

Read the full article in Thursday's print or electronic paper. Subscribers, or those looking for more instruction on how to subscribe can click here.