A roomfull of residents, paramedics and local leaders showed up last Thursday night to hear the DeWitt County Board's decision on approving the recommendation from the DeWitt County Ambulance Advisory Committee to contract with Paramedic Services of Illinois, or PSI, from Schiller Park, Illinois.

One resident was able to give his opinion on the matter. Aaron Kammeyer addressed many concerns he had with the Committee's decision. With several businesses around the area leaving or going out of business altogether, Kammeyer does not want to see the County's money go to Chicago.

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Through the entire process, the Dr. John Warner Hospital was not represented on the committee. Kammeyer questions not having a representative from the hospital on the Committee and also feels the Committee unjustly portrayed the hospital's ambulance service as "incompetent, unproductive and unreliable".

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Kammeyer believes PSI just needs a foot in the door to the area before they look to make a presence in other communities. He specifically points out Lincoln's operation and compares PSI's business model to a local Wal-Mart.

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Before Kammeyer spoke before the full Board he made himself clear he was a member of the DJWH Board of Directors, but was speaking on behalf of himself and other taxpayers. Once he wrapped up his written statement, Kammeyer proceeded to be severely questioned by multiple members of the Board for over ten minutes, questions which quickly turned into the specifics of his knowledge of the DJWH.

Kammeyer implored the Board to take extra time to make a decision, as he felt his was not something people of the County wanted, however, the Board voted 9-2 in favor of upholding the Advisory Committee's recommendation of PSI.