The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By: Joy Swearingen - Correspondent
Paramedic Lisa Weeks of Warsaw spoke at the Hancock County Board meeting Tuesday, Feb. 20, expressing some concerns about the new county ambulance plan that puts one advanced (ALS) ambulance in Carthage and a second ALS unit in Warsaw. Previously the two ALS units were stationed in Carthage and a basic BLS unit was in Warsaw.
Weeks explained that the ambulance station in Warsaw is owned by the Warsaw Community Ambulance Service Corporation, formed in 1972 to operate the Warsaw ambulance.
While the county now runs the ambulance service, the WCASC is still licensed as a First Responder unit. Warsaw First Responder emergency treatment and training equipment is stored in the building.
In a letter to EMS coordinator, Gabe Smeltser, which was shared with the board, Weeks noted, "Items have been removed from the WCASC's First Responder jump bag and oxygen bag." She was also concerned about changes on locks and keypads that had, at one point, left the Warsaw First Responders without access to their equipment.
She urged Smeltser to tell the county ambulance crews using the station that the First Responder equipment is regularly inspected so that it is ready for use in an emergency, and should not be disturbed.
"These issues have been resolved. We just wanted the board to know about these issues," Weeks said. "Our main point is that we need access to our training supplies in our building. And if they have problems or concerns with the building, let us know and we will take care of it."
Weeks also expressed concern with the new EMS plan that calls for the Warsaw ambulance to relocate to Carthage when the Carthage ambulance is transporting a patient to a hospital out of the county.
"Now, more often than not, the rig is not in Warsaw but in Carthage," Weeks said.
She also suggested setting up a county BLS ambulance to do transfers and paying those crews by miles driven, rather than an hourly on-call rate, which had been costly to the county in the past. Running transfers was discontinued in the new plan.
"Hancock County EMS took a hit in the last year. We lost a BLS ambulance. We lost the HN1 ambulance in Dallas City, and lost First Responders in Augusta and West Point," Weeks said.
"We need to work on communication so that we can build this back up."
The board urged the WCASC board and Smeltser to continue working on the issues.
Another visitor to the board was Nathan Cobb, director of Hancock County Transportation Service. He explained the steps for moving forward with a $500,000 IDOT grant that has been approved for a storage building for Hancock County transportation buses and vans. The grant is good until 2023.
He asked that the board approve purchase of land for the project as the first step. Several board members had questions. The request was tabled for a month so that Cobb could come to county committee meetings and explain the grant and building plan further before the board takes action.
The board learned the Historic Preservation Association has disbanded and wants to turn ownership of the former Hancock County Jail on the square back to the county.
The county has the right of egress into a tunnel under the street that goes from the jail to the courthouse. Water and electrical utilities use the tunnel dating back to when the building was in use as the county jail.
County Clerk Kerry Asbridge advised the board, "If you do decide to take it back, you better have a game plan in mind."
The jail is the oldest building on the square in Carthage, and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. There could be stipulations for what happens to the building. Options mentioned were to fix it up and try to find tenants, level the building or not take ownership of the building.
The board tabled any action so they can learn more about what needs to be done with utilities and other concerns.
The board learned the assessor's test was moved from January until March 2, delaying the hiring of a new supervisor of assessments. The board of review cannot meet until the new supervisor is named.
In other business, the board:
- Approved a bid of $24,452 from Carson Ford for a 2018 one-ton pickup cab and chassis for the Highway Department, and a bid for $9,010 from Knapheide to equip the truck with a dump body and hoist, towing kit and strobe lights;
- Appropriated $5,000 to match inspection funds required by the National Bridge Inspection Standards;
- Approved seeking bids for liability and health insurance, and for a county auditing firm;
- Received a Freedom of Information Act request from Charles Gavillet for documents on bridge work;
- Received copies of the three-year union contract which has been approved by EMS crews, and will come up for a vote at the March board meeting;
- Appointed Gabe Smeltser to the 911 Emergency Telephone Systems Board.