F-m Ambulance Service Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

As part of the sanford health integrated delivery system, fm ambulance, dba sanford ambulance fargo (sa-f), provides emergency medical care and specialty care transportation services to fargo, North Dakota/moorhead, Minnesota metro area and surrounding communities. Sa-f is accredited by the commission on accreditation of ambulance services (caas) and is the largest advanced life support ground ambulance provider in North Dakota and outstate Minnesota. Sa-f responds to more than 32,000 calls for service annually which resulted in transporting more than 23,000 people and over 9,000 calls that did not result in a patient transport. Sa-f serves as a resource to rescue squads, local and regional fire departments, and all law enforcement agencies and ambulance providers throughout the state. Sa-f provides tactical paramedics for the regional s.w.a.t. Team and provides firefighter rehabilitaion services pro-bono. Sa-f works closely with local volunteer services to coordinate the delivery of emergency medical care to communities in its service area and is a leader in homeland defense preparedness by serving as a regional training site, resources partner and first responder.through its ready wheels operations (a specialty care transportation service), sa-f provides local and long distance transportation for individuals confined to wheelchairs. This specialty care transportation service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide door-to-door service. These services allow individuals in the community to access transportation services that accommodate unique individual needs due to health conditions.education and other services: sa-f promotes community health and injury prevention with more than 4,000 members of the public each year participating in first aid, automated external defibrillator, cpr, babysitter training and other community wellness courses. Sa-f is also the home to the region's largest initial ems certification center. Emergency medical responder classes are taught to area high school students, fire departments, law enforcement agencies and volunteer rescue squads. Emt classes are held multiple times a year and supply staffing for full-time and volunteer agencies across our area. In conjunction with the North Dakota state college of science, sa-f's paramedic program offers an associate degree level course accredited by the commission on accreditation of allied health education programs (one of 3 in nd). Sa-f also offers recertification courses in-person and virtually that are accredited through the commission on accreditation for pre-hospital continuing education (only one in nd). New in 2024, sanford ambulance fargo will train up to 15 paramedics in an academy model in which the students will be employees of the ambulance service and be paid for their training. This is the only paramedic apprenticeship program in the tri-state region where the students are employees and all expenses are covered by sanford health.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 92%; rating input score 92
• Program expense ratio: 87%; rating input score 87
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -5.7%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.52; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 0.6% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings