If you live in Evans Mills and have a medical emergency, your ambulance ride will cost you more money.

The Evans Mills Volunteer Ambulance Squad is increasing it's billing rate by about 20 percent.

That's a couple hundred dollars more before insurance on the average call.

"Even with our increases, we remain very competitive with the other agencies in the area," said board chairman Allan O'Brien.

O'Brien says the price hike is necessary to keep his agency out of the red.

Things are so bad, in fact, it's had to ask its eight paid employees to work for free during a four-week layoff period that ends December 4. That should save around $10,000.

"We are going through a few weeks of restructuring our staffing model and revising our financial practices to ensure that we're viable for the long term," O'Brien said.

O'Brien says salaries are the biggest financial challenge. But in general, running the ambulance service has just gotten more expensive.

"Costs for just about everything is up. Fuel expenses is up. We did unfortunately have a theft in 2010 which hurt a bit."

Former treasurer Sarah Bice is accused of embezzling more than $10,000. She was arrested in late September.

"We operate at a very slim profit margin and because of that we just found ourselves in a position where we had to makes some adjustments," O'Brien said.

O'Brien says those adjustments will keep the ambulance service in the black and able to continue providing the 24/7 coverage the community needs.