By Kurt Erickson
The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois)
Copyright 2007 The Pantagraph
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Hoping to avoid a shortage of paramedics, Illinois officials have awarded a no-bid contract to a politically connected testing firm to certify thousands of emergency medical technicians.
Continental Testing Services, a LaGrange-based company owned by long-time Capitol lobbyist Billie Paige, will earn $198,000 by offering tests in 66 locations across the state in the coming months.
The contract comes after more than two years of wrangling over testing for emergency medical technicians, which has raised concerns about whether the state is adequately certifying people who respond to emergencies.
At issue was a dispute over a national test that was being used in certifying EMTs. Critics said it was more expensive and there were fewer testing sites available to paramedics. And, some questions on the test were reportedly not relevant to Illinois.
Groups like the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association complained they had been locked out discussions about using a new test since 2004.
On Friday, state Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Galesburg, said he was pleased the state is finally moving forward to make the tests more accessible.
“I’ve been monitoring this. For the Department of Public Health to have taken this long to get a test ready is troubling,” said Moffitt. “Some fire departments face a critical shortage of EMTs. In these times, we need more paramedics, not fewer.”
Bloomington Fire Chief Keith Ranney agreed that action by the state was long overdue. He credited intervention by lawmakers and Illinois fire chiefs for getting the Department of Public Health to move.
“Finally we were heard,” said Ranney.
State documents indicate that officials justified the no-bid contract by expressing concern that emergency services throughout the state could be jeopardized if they didn’t hire the testing company.
“If this contract is not executed, exams will not be given within the necessary time frame and there will be a shortage of licensed EMTs in the state,” noted an Illinois Department of Public Health document.
The contract is among several Continental Testing has with the state. The 23-year-old company also conducts certification tests for Illinoisans wanting to be licensed as architects, nail technicians, land surveyors and several other professions.
Paige is a familiar face in the State Capitol, having served as a lobbyist for more than three decades. In addition to her role as president of Continental Testing, she also was campaign treasurer Carol Moseley-Braun, when the former U.S. senator from Illinois sought the Democratic presidential nomination.
Paige said state officials approached her about the contract because of her company’s lengthy history in providing test services for the state. She dismissed the notion that politics played a role.
“This is business. They were in crisis mode,” she said Friday.
Moffitt said he is not concerned about the nature of the contract, describing Paige as a “high quality person.”
“At this point, it’s more important that we finally get off the dime and resume the testing,” Moffitt said.