The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen, Quill Correspondent
Hancock County Ambulance Service is now receiving administrative guidance from the Adams County EMS command staff.
At a special meeting March 16, the Hancock County Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Adams County to receive assistance with the ambulance system operations.
Under the agreement, Hancock County will pay Adams County $5,000 per month for 120 hours of service each month.
“This service is intended to maintain a basic leadership structure so that Hancock can provide essential emergency medical pre-hospital care to the residents and visitors of Hancock County,” the agreement states. The agreement runs through Nov. 30. It can be terminated before that time, or continued after Nov. 30 on a month to month basis.
The Adams County Board approved the agreement at their meeting on March 15.
Adams County has a command staff of six who would manage routine operations of the Hancock County service, such as guidance and direction of crews, set and maintain schedules, give staff development, assure proper maintenance of facilities and ambulances, and other duties in lieu of an EMS director.
On Feb. 25, the board placed the county EMS director, Jennifer Meeks, on paid administrative leave and appointed Adam Doellman as interim EMS director until March 22, unless otherwise extended. At the March 16 meeting Doellman said he is not interested in continuing in the position.
He warned that the Hancock County service is losing staff.
“You are in a dire situation,” Doellman said. “We have four full time EMTs and four full time paramedics. We are trying to run two ALS trucks. You want to keep at least one ambulance running at all times.”
John Simon, chief of Adams County Ambulance, was present at the meeting, along with Alex Ussery, deputy chief of operations, and Jessica Frese, deputy chief of administration.
“First and foremost, we take your concerns seriously. This is a neighbor helping a neighbor,” said Simon.
He noted that Adams County “not so long ago” was in a similar situation, being $2.5 million in the hole.
“Through the collaboration of the team we built, we changed the course of Adams County for the better. What we hope to offer you tonight is some of that neighbor helping neighbor so we can guide you through that process to do the same with your service, and I stress ‘your service’.”
He said that the agreement will not mean Adams or Hancock county EMTs and paramedics would be covering the other’s services, except in cases where mutual aid already exists. The plan abides by union agreements already in place for employees of both counties.
The vote to approve the agreement carried 11-2, with Jan Fleming and Katherine Phillips voting no, and Dennis Castlebury and Harry Douglas absent.
Fleming is chairman of the Health and Miscellaneous committee. She voiced concern about the cost of the agreement, and whether it addressed the problems that continue with funding and staffing for the ambulance service.
“My main concern is for the taxpayer,” Fleming said after the meeting.
“We are losing an employee in the county(Meeks), and sending taxpayer dollars to Adams County.”
She said the cost of the agreement is higher than what is presently being spent for the director.
“There is no plan in this contract to stop the bleed of expenses without added cost.”
The agreement states that if Hancock County wants more services, such as union negotiations, hiring a new director, budget development , Adams County will be paid a fee of $75 per hour. If the county wants an organizational assessment, Adams County will charge a one-time fee of $12,500.
Chad Stewart of Elvaston addressed the board with his concern that a “foreign governmental agency” would be acting on behalf of the people of Hancock County.
“No where in the public record do I find a member of this body being granted approval or authorization by this board to enter into negotiations with another government,” Stewart said.
He stated that if such authorization was given in closed session, a matter of this importance should have been made public.
Patsy Davis spoke at the start of the meeting.
“The agreement allows Adams County to assist Hancock County in the operation of our ambulance and emergency medical services,” said Davis. “To be clear, Hancock County will still maintain its EMS system.
This agreement allows assistance in management, not the take over of our EMS system.
"Our EMS system will continue to be Hancock County EMS, and will continue to have the oversight of our county board. What Hancock County will get,” she noted, “is the resources of Adams County in running and providing this continued service to our community.”
Two items on the agenda, action on the EMS director and action on an interim EMS director, were tabled.
In a related matter, the board approved a resolution allowing issuance of tax anticipation warrants for the ambulance service to cover current shortages in the ambulance funds.
The resolution finalizes action taken by the board on Feb. 22.
Warrants in the amount of $182,750 can be issued as needed to pay bills.
This amount is 85 percent of the estimated tax money the ambulance fund will receive in 2022 tax payments.
It is the maximum amount that can be advanced, and it must be repaid within this current fiscal year ending Nov. 30.
John Simon, chief of Adams County ambulance service, speaks at a special Hancock County board meeting of services to aid Hancock County's Ambulance Service.