The Ambulance Advisory Committee  has met three times since their formation.

Non-voting DeWitt County Board member liaison to the Committee, Terry Ferguson updated the DeWitt County Board Thursday night of the Committee's happenings to this point. He says the first meeting was simply a meet and greet, although Tony Harris, was appointed assistant-chair of the Committee and Gail Ann Helton was named the Secretary.

The Committee held a meeting this past Wednesday, at which they met with the Logan County Paramedics Association, the non-profit ambulance service in Logan County. Ferguson says they outlined their operation. The LCPA runs around 4-thousand calls per year, where as the DJWH ambulance service runs less than half of that at about 18-hundred.

[audio:52512ambulanceupdate1.mp3] [/audio]

Ferguson explains Logan County owns the ambulances and then leases them back to the LCPA. Similarities between Logan County and DeWitt County, according to Ferguson, around 40% of both areas calls are non-transport calls.

[audio:52512ambulanceupdate2.mp3] [/audio]

Dr. John Warner Hospital officials have offered to allow the housing of the ambulances at their facility for up to two years for $900 a month. Ferguson says there are few strings attached to that offer. He explains the hospital does not want to be housing the ambulances with them still in their possession.

[audio:52512ambulanceupdate3.mp3] [/audio]

Ferguson says the Committee is moving right along and they are very dedicated to this process and doing what is best for DeWitt County.

Below you will find the listed contact information for Committee members. The Committee is encouraging the public to be in contact with these representatives to share their input.

Committee Chair - EMA Coordinator Teresa Barnett     217-935-0032

Assistant Chair - CenCom Director Tony Harris        217-935-3344

Secretary - Weldon Fire Representative Gail Ann Helton    217-736-2241

Clinton Fire Representative Shawn Milton            217-519-2909                                                                                             chief@clintonfire.org

Kenney Fire Representative Earl Jiles                  309-530-2644

Waynesville  Fire Representative Kevin Keim        309-319-8107

Wapella Fire Department's Representative Callan Cain stepped down from the Committee, and last night the DeWitt County Board aprroved Willis Strange as his replacement.

Community Representative Denise Torbert        217-935-3481 (H)
                                                                    217-935-2876 (W)

Community Representative Vicki Morrow            217-935-9267

DeWitt County Board Liaison Terry Ferguson        217-935-2074