Chickasaw County EMS to Become Official Department This Week
After months of discussion and the purchase of some equipment, a public, county-run ambulance in Chickasaw County is about to become official, although still not operational.
During the regular meeting of the Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors Monday, an ordinance was approved by a 3-2 vote to establish the Chickasaw County EMS as a County department. A second motion to waive the second and third readings was also passed by a 3-2 vote and the department will become official when it’s published in the County newspapers later this week.
Supervisors Tim Zoll and Jacob Hackman voted against passage with Hackman raising concerns about how the ambulance department will be funded while noting the increased costs that come with it.
Supervisors Matt Kuhn, Steven Breitbach and Jason Byrne voted in favor of the ordinance, with Byrne citing public support for the ambulance.
The County has pledged the use of County ARPA funds to help pay for startup costs of the ambulance, but how the County will regularly fund the department after that is still to be determined.
Staffing, staff pay and the housing of staff are among other items still to be worked out, which Supervisors hope to address during a joint meeting with the Ambulance Advisory Committee Thursday at 1 p.m.
