By Mike Belt
Journal-World
Copyright 2007 Journal-World
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The future of Eudora Emergency Medical Service could be determined Monday night during a joint meeting of Eudora city and township officials and the Douglas County Commission.
An agreement that would put the medical service under the management of the city fire chief has been developed during the past several months. An initial proposal called for the county, city and township to share the costs of the operation.
Currently the medical service is its own entity, but it receives equipment, training and medical oversight from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical. That would continue, but under the agreement the Eudora service would become a division of the Eudora Fire Department. Eudora city leaders have said the change will lead to improved service.
The township, however, dropped out of the agreement and medical service personnel have opposed the idea. One of the biggest reasons for the opposition is that current EMS volunteers have not received guarantees from Fire Chief Randy Ates that they will continue to serve, said Dustin McAfee, a medic.
“Nowhere in the agreement does it say what they are going to do with the current members of the EMS,” McAfee said. “They’re telling us we have to go through a new application process. If we were guaranteed that we would continue as volunteers, most of us probably wouldn’t oppose it.”
There are 10 medics with the service and four other people have taken tests to be certified as emergency medical technicians or first responders.
McAfee said he doubts that he would reapply if the city proposal is approved because he doesn’t think he should need to.
The township will probably discuss its own ideas for the medical service at the meeting, McAfee said.
“We’re going to make our own proposal or at least discuss one and hope that they’ll give some time to come up with one,” he said. “We have one now but we’d like to make it better.”
The township proposal could include a process that would prepare for the possibility of one countywide medical and fire service, McAfee said.
County Commissioner Jere McElhaney said he liked the idea.
“We might look at different means of providing fire and medical services in the county,” he said. “I think you can get more for your money.”
The joint meeting will be at 6 p.m. in Eudora City Hall.
County commissioners also will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the county courthouse, 1100 Mass. During that meeting commissioners will consider bids for construction improvements to North 600 Road between County Route 1055 and East 1750 road, or about 2 miles north of Baldwin City.