By Rod Smith
Kalamazoo Gazette
TROWBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Allegan Emergency Services Board of Directors may discontinue ambulance service by Allegan EMS in favor of hiring a for-profit company.
Trowbridge Trustee David Loudenslager Wednesday, Jan. 2, reported on a proposal by Life EMS to provide service to Cheshire, Trowbridge, Valley and Allegan townships and Allegan.
“Nothing is set in stone at this point,” Loudenslager said. “Everything is under discussion.” Allegan General Hospital is also part of the board.
The discussion
Under discussion is a possible five-year, $78,000 contract to provide service to the area. There are also two-year extensions.
Trowbridge is now paying a $4,500 subsidy for Allegan EMS. Going with Life could cost $10,000.
But the advantage would be that Life could provide more ambulances when the need arises. “Life EMS has a pretty big area,” Loudenslager said. That area includes Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Newaygo.
Life will provide two ambulances. If Allegan EMS, which is operated by the board, continues, it will have to buy one or two in the future.
Recent ambulance call
Ambulance service was very much on the minds of Lauren and Rob Chase. Rob Chase had gotten his hand caught in a snowblower during the recent snowstorm.
Lauren Chase said she’d called 911 but it took 28 minutes to get an ambulance there. “That’s very very concerning,” Lauren Chase said. The ambulance came from Holland.
Jan DeWyse, director of Allegan County’s central dispatch, said there was no one available locally to respond. “This happened to come in at a time where we had several accidents,” DeWyse said.
Complicating the problem is that unlike police cars, where the nearest one is dispatched, ambulance and first responder services have territories for financial reasons, according to DeWyse.
“This isn’t the first problem of this sort happening in the county,” Treasurer Ben Woodhams said. “Recently they sent an ambulance from Middleville to Monterey Center.”
DeWyse said first responders from Otsego agreed to answer the call even though Trowbridge is not in their area.
Annual meeting
The board set its annual meeting for 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, before the regular monthly meeting. The topic will be township officer salaries.
Trustees are asking for no change in salaries “Because of economic conditions,” Supervisor Terri Kelly said.
Those numbers are: $7,000 for the supervisor, $14,800 if the supervisor acts as the assessor, $9,300 for the clerk and treasurer, and $90 a meeting for trustees.