County Board Legislative Committee Recommends Six-Month Extension of 911 Emergency Calls Agreement w/Abbott

The Effingham County Board's Legislative Committee Monday voted to seek a six-month extension of the county's agreement with Abbott EMS for emergency ambulance service. The vote came after the full Board voted in November against the recommendation of their Ambulance Oversight Committee to award the emergency ambulance service to Rural Med once the existing contract with Abbott expires in April 2022.

Two of the more vocal opponents against awarding the contract to Rural Med...Dave Campbell and John Perry...were not present for Monday's meeting. There are reports that Campbell could not attend for medical reasons.

County Board Chairman Jim Niemann said he has seen the Board vote against awarding the contract to Rural Med, but has heard no solution offered since then. Niemann said, "This Board needs to do something, that when someone calls 911, they have an ambulance show up. If we don't award to Rural Med, then we should extend the contract with Abbott, or we are derelict in our duties."

A Rural Med spokesman said their proposal was in accordance with the request for proposals and that they "never excluded other services."

Niemann said of those who voted against awarding to Rural Med, "Just voting No is not a solution."

Board member Norbert Soltwedel said he hears from some "just open (ambulance service) up, but how is 911 going to know who to dispatch?"

Board member Joe Thoele said, "Those who said No should come up with a plan for how to proceed."

Board member Rob Arnold, who chairs Ambulance Oversight, said, "Dispatchers can't be making decisions on who to dispatch; telecommunicators shouldn't do this." Sheriff Paul Kuhns added, "We (the telecommunicators) don't have time to do it."

Arnold said, "The Board needs to give (Ambulance Oversight) direction."