The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen, Quill Correspondent
Information about the Nauvoo Ambulance Service was incorrect and incomplete in a recent Hancock County Quill and Journal-Pilot news story.
The report of the Hancock County board meeting, in the August 26 Hancock County Quill and in the Journal-Pilot, stated: "Nauvoo and La Harpe ambulance services are able to keep their services staffed a majority of the time." This is incorrect related to the Nauvoo Ambulance Service.
"We have been in service 100 percent of the time, staffing two ambulances. Nauvoo ambulance has never been out of service," according to Daniel Gallaher, former chief and current trustee on the Nauvoo Fire Protection District board.
Maria Hopp, Hancock County 9-1-1 administrator agrees. "Nauvoo never goes out of service. We never have a problem with them responding to our pages," she said.
Nauvoo Ambulance Service is an Advanced Life Support (ALS) transport unit. An ALS unit has a paramedic as well as EMT on board and carries additional life support equipment and medications.
In addition, the news story did not mention an agreement between Nauvoo Ambulance Service and the Lomax Ambulance, for Nauvoo to cover the Lomax region when needed.
Since the Dallas City Rural Fire District does not have its own ambulance, the Lomax Ambulance Service has been contracted to cover the Dallas City Rural Fire District. Under the agreement with Lomax, Nauvoo also covers residents in the Dallas City district when Lomax ambulance is not in service. We regret these errors and omissions.