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ATVFD to provide ambulance service
The Rush County Commissioners met Monday for the final time of 2009 and wrapped up what they called a difficult but successful year.
Speaking on behalf of the Anderson Township Advisory Board — and with the township trustee Karen Jenkins, fire chief Nick White and others in attendance — Milroy resident and advisory board member Bill Ward presented the county leaders with a proposal regarding a long-term solution to restoring and providing emergency ambulance service to the rural community of Milroy and the southern part of Rush County.
The proposal spelled out a plan in which Anderson Township would, on their own, negotiate a short-term lease on an ambulance and necessary equipment. Additionally, they will staff the ambulance with trained and state certified EMT’s and paramedics that meet the criteria of the ATVFD bylaws and live within the boundaries of Anderson Township.
After a period of not less than six months they will then seek to have the county pay a subsidy for the ambulance service and seek to have the county supported E911 ambulance service reinstated under the leadership of the ATVFD.
According to Ward, the ambulance will be housed in the fire station and will be staffed by volunteers from the fire department. He explained that the township has already located an ambulance and has the necessary funding in place to provide for the short-term lease.
“We are asking that the commissioners give the fire department the opportunity to show that they can run and do the required job with an ambulance in the southern part of Rush County,” Ward said.
The commissioners accepted the proposal and asked how long it would take for the ambulance service to be operational.
Ward said it could take a couple of weeks.
Rush Memorial Hospital will be the sponsoring medical facility for the medical transport operation.
“What they are asking is a chance to prove they can do this and that is very commendable on their part,” commissioner Tom Barnes said.
It was agreed that during the coming months those involved will provide the county leaders with run reports and audit reports in a timely fashion.
It was noted that for a number of years both the Anderson Township Volunteer Fire Department and the ambulance service worked together. However, a spit in the two departments took place nearly 10 years ago and the gap between the two entities widened in recent years, with ATVFD and Milroy EMS becoming two separate operations.
In August, following a number of complaints and months of what county officials deemed unsatisfactory improvements in the medical response time as well as other areas of medical service provided by Milroy EMS, the Rush County Commissioners voted unanimously to sever their contract with the not-for-profit medical transport organization effective Sept. 1, 2009.
Since that time, RMH Ambulance has been dispatched to E911 and medical calls in the southern part of the county.
Frank Denzler can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 ext. 106 or via e-mail at frank.denzler@rushvillerepublican.com. To add a comment to this story visit our Web site at www.rushvillerepublican.com.
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