The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen, J-P correspondent
Hancock County Ambulance Service will continue to have one ALS (Advanced Life Support) unit standing by in Carthage and a second ALS ambulance in the Hamilton-Warsaw area.
The board was presented with two resolutions from the County Health and Miscellaneous Committee at their regular meeting Feb. 19. One was for both ambulances to be stationed in Carthage until an affordable place could be found in Hamilton. The second, which passed, was to keep one of the ALS units in the western part of the county.
Dave Krum spoke in support of keeping an ambulance in the Warsaw-Hamilton area.
"I thank God an ambulance was there for my father-in-law," Krum said. "I believe whole-heartedly, whether it is in Hamilton or Warsaw, there has to be an ambulance in the western part of the county."
The cost to keep an ambulance in Hamilton was becoming a concern, with future rent of $13,000 a year. Krum said that he believed a facility in Warsaw can be arranged with no rent.
Krum had worked with county board member Tom Rodgers to organize a meeting in Warsaw Feb. 9th to discuss ambulance issues, and to encourage western Hancock County residents to begin training as First Responders.
Levi Winters, a Hancock County EMS paramedic, said he understood the concern for having an ambulance in Warsaw or Hamilton, but he considers the rest of the county.
It takes 20-25 minutes for an ambulance to get from Carthage to Augusta, Winters said. Carthage goes on two-thirds of the calls. If the Carthage ambulance is out, it takes 35 minutes from Warsaw to Augusta, and an added 10 minutes from Hamilton.
I have worked with Tri-County Ambulance (Augusta/Plymouth area) and now with the Hancock County Ambulance in Warsaw. I implore you to consider that we are professionals, and it is our opinion the ambulances should both be in Carthage, Winters added.
Paramedics Brian Friedrich and Mark Kelly also spoke in support of having both ambulances centrally located.
Rodgers said he is concerned about getting a six-minute critical response time to as many residents of the county as possible.
My point is we ought to be looking at how we can get better response time for the outlying areas, Rodgers said.
First Responders can't transport, but they can do CPR and begin treatment until an ambulance gets there. The ambulance board needs to look at how we can get First Responders in all communities.
The county ambulance service is receiving the full allowable tax rate of10 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Two votes were taken on the ambulance location. Keeping both ambulances in Carthage failed 3 to 11. The vote to keep one ambulance in Carthage and one in the Warsaw/Hamilton area passed 9 to 5.
After the vote, Janet Fleming, chairman of the Health and Miscellaneous Committee expressed concern.
I feel bad we are not listening to the people running the service and doing the work. I don't think we need to micromanage their job. Let them do their work the best way they can, Fleming said.
The county board approved a letter of intent with Western Illinois Regional Council to continue the paint and electronics recycling. A contract will be finalized in March.
The county has a long history with us, said Tim Lobdell from WIRC. The law changed in 2019 requiring more paperwork and a contract. Nothing else has changed.
The contract is for a total of $7,282, with the county paying $4,682. Carthage and the Hancock County Health Department each pay $1,300.
The agreement allows Hancock County residents to bring paint and electronics for recycling to the county Highway Dept. garage on Wabash Street in Carthage on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lobdell estimated 60,000 pounds of electronics and 10,000 to 15,000 pounds of paint are recycled, which are taken to a certified recycling agency.
Resolutions were passed finalizing budget amendments for the fiscal year ending Nov. 30, 2018, and placing Dale Bolton's name on the list of those with access to the safety deposit box for the assessment office.
County animal control warden, Mike Wright, and Rachel Mast, county state's attorney, are working together to create an ordinance related to animals being endangered in bad weather. Wright has received many calls about animals in distress.
The board approved writing off $62,533 in unpaid charges by the ambulance service, because of Medicare and Medicaid adjustments,