WHITEWOOD - The Whitewood city ambulance crew is desperately in need of more emergency medical technicians, Police Chief Jerry Davidson told the Whitewood City Council on Monday.

"If you know anyone you even think might be interested, have them call us," Davidson said.

Ross Grant, who schedules the ambulance crew, said: "It's mighty thin. I am surprised that we have at least two volunteers turn up at every call."

Grant encouraged anyone interested to take an EMT basic training course that starts Jan. 13, offered by Spearfish Emergency Ambulance Service.

"You can take the class, and if you decide it's not for you, you don't have to be on the ambulance crew. It's valuable training to have. We could use drivers, too, if that isn't your thing," Grant said.

Davidson said the Whitewood ambulance crew has saved many lives that would have been lost before the city started its ambulance service.

"We don't want to lose it," he said of the service.

In other business:

* Police officer Lynn Hill asked the city to buy portable cameras for the officers to wear while on call. He said the money could come from funds that won't be spent for a replacement police vehicle.

"We've done some things to cut our costs on the vehicle, so the funds are already there," Hill said. He also noted the existing car cameras are old and that not all are in good working condition.

Davidson said the cameras protect police as well as the people they interact with and arrest.

"It resolves issues and keeps us out of liability problems," he said.

The council was split on approving the request, but Mayor Mike Weyrich cast the deciding vote to buy the cameras.

* Davidson noted the success of the city's recent deer-culling program. Although some cities can pay to have deer removed, Whitewood had to rely on volunteers, he said.

He commended Ross Grant and Marty Pittman for their work shooting the animals.

"They were out early in the morning and late at night. They didn't have to. They just volunteered," he said.

Fifty deer were donated to churches and the poor.

"We have quite a few families that need it. They wouldn't be eating without this," Davidson said.

* Davidson said he also receives complaints almost daily about turkeys in town.

"They're ripping up trash, and they're being run over," he said. The birds are having trouble finding enough to eat.

"There's just not enough food," said Davidson. "GFP says the problem is they have nowhere to relocate the turkeys. I guess everyone has them."