Mattoon Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from jg-tc.com:

The Mattoon Fire Department officially ended its ambulance service at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25, 2017, marking the end of an era for local emergency medical transport in the city. With the department's ambulance operations now terminated, two private ambulance services—Mitchell-Jerdan Ambulance Service and Dunn’s Ambulance—are handling all emergency medical transportation needs in Mattoon.

Firefighters expressed disappointment over the decision, as they had been providing critical emergency care to residents for years. However, they acknowledged that the city has chosen to retain the fire department’s advanced life support equipment, ensuring that first responders can still offer vital medical assistance at the scene until an ambulance arrives.

Although the fire department will no longer provide direct ambulance transport, firefighters will still be dispatched to emergencies when an ambulance is not immediately available. They will continue to offer advanced life support care on-site until the patient is transferred to a hospital by a private ambulance crew.

Bart Owen, president of Mattoon Firefighters Local 691, confirmed that the department moved all advanced life support equipment from its three former ambulances to three fire trucks earlier this week. This move ensures that emergency medical services can still be delivered effectively, even without a dedicated ambulance fleet.

Mitchell-Jerdan Ambulance Service, which has been serving Mattoon since 1934, and Dunn’s Ambulance, which has operated in the area since 2008, are now the sole providers of ambulance services. The fire department’s own ambulance service began in 2011, but it was eventually deemed financially unsustainable by city officials.

The city plans to store the three former fire department ambulances for now. Meanwhile, ongoing negotiations between the city and the firefighters’ union are addressing the impact of the service’s elimination, including disputes over contracts and potential arbitration processes.

Citizens and local leaders have debated the decision, with city officials arguing that the fire department’s ambulance service was redundant and costly, while the firefighters’ union maintained that it provided essential coverage and generated much-needed revenue for the city.

Thanks, Dennis

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