Franklin County Board members met in special session Tuesday night but tabled a decision to select an ambulance service provider until Monday's regular committee meetings.
Board Chairman Randall Crocker introduced members of the ambulance service committee, including Rob Barrett, Larry Jamrozek, Carolyn Luster, Wes Taylor and Tom Jordan, receiver of Mercy Regional Emergency Health Services.
Luster said she taught classes at Rend Lake College, and had been a nurse for many years, as well as an employee of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
"Franklin County was one of the 25 counties I served," she said. "I know how important it is for the county to have an ambulance service and I am here to help."
Crocker explained that residents of Denning and Frankfort Townships in West Frankfort are served by ambulances through the West Frankfort Fire Department as he introduced retired fire chief Jamrozek, current fire chief Taylor and firefighter Jordan.
He said Barrett was "very instrumental in helping the board to get us where we are tonight."
He also introduced representatives of Cardinal EMS, saying they would assume the ambulance service operation as of midnight on Dec. 31. Crocker said A. Courtney Cox, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, had approved the sale of all of the assets of Mercy Regional Ambulance Company to Sutton Enterprises, Inc., owned by Virginia Sutton and a partner.
Crocker reminded the audience that the public safety tax failed to pass during the Nov. 4 election.
"The problem was education," he said. "As more people understood the need for the public safety tax and that it was to support an ambulance service, I think people became more positive about it. We will need to address this again in the future.
"I have talked with State's Attorney Tom Dinn about the possibility of having a provision for a property tax in the future to maybe subsidize an ambulance service," Crocker said.
He credited Cox and the U.S. Attorney's Office for "bending over backwards to keep the ambulance service going as long as it did.”
Jordan said he was appointed as court receiver of Mercy in March.
"We were able to keep the ambulance service open for nine months," he said.
Crocker said the process to seize the assets of Mercy Regional occurred a month ahead of schedule. "The U.S. Attorney's Office called me and said they wanted to meet with me," he said. "A group of us including Harry Stewart, Rob Barrett, Hervey Davis and I went to meet with them in Fairview Heights. We listened to them explain that they wanted out of the ambulance business by January 1.
"We sent letters requesting proposals and received RFP's from eight companies who had shown interest in coming to Franklin County," Crocker said. "Only two companies gave us proposals-Abbott EMS and Cardinal EMS. Abbott EMS is a large company owned by a nationwide company and is located in the St. Louis area. They said they could provide in-county service. Cardinal EMS is made up of local people and some who were just hired."
Jordan and county board members praised the work of Mercy Regional Emergency Health Services employees. "The employees always came to work, despite what was going on with the court case," he said. "They did a great job. They were never the problem. The agency was mismanaged. There was bad leadership at the top. The employees did not do anything wrong. I could not have done this without the employees. They knew what needed to be done and they did it.
"It is unprecedented for a U.S. attorney to do what Courtney Cox did to keep the ambulance service open as long as it was," Jordan said. "The assets were sold at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon (Tuesday) to Cardinal EMS."
Sutton said she had received the assets, comprised of computer equipment. She said the vehicles would go back to the leasing companies.
She said she has billing knowledge and had hired more employees.
"I have hired people who know how to run a business," Sutton said. "There are between 60 and 65 people who will be employed as of midnight on Dec. 31. These are local people who would have otherwise lost their jobs."
Crocker explained the services that Abbott EMS could provide, saying they are "a solid company with more than 40 years of experience.”
"Abbott EMS wants to service the entire area," he said. "Cardinal EMS has said they would do the same thing. The exceptions would be Denning and Frankfort Townships. They would still be served by the West Frankfort Fire Department."
Cardinal EMS operations director Steve Berkemeier said the ambulance service had five Basic Life Support units for back up.
"We will have ambulances stationed in Benton and Christopher," he said. "We will have nine ambulances initially and will assume the contract with the VA Medical Center in Marion to do transfers. There will be 14 service cars on the road."
County board co-Chairman Danny Melvin commended the work of Mercy Regional employees.
"I have had several experiences with Mercy Regional employees," he said. "I would like to see them continue to serve the people of Franklin County as Cardinal EMS." Board member Christy Brower agreed. Member David Rea said the decision between the two companies is "a no-brainer".
Crocker said another part of the puzzle is asking the ambulance service committee to continue to oversee the operation. "I want them to continue to serve to oversee the operation and to hear complaints," he said. "I want them to represent the public. The ambulance service will be requested to provide quarterly reports to the committee. Harry Stewart, Hervey Davis, Rob Barrett and Larry Jamrozek will continue to serve on the committee."
Jordan said Mercy had just been rated by the VA Medical Center, adding the ambulance service had received an "excellent rating.”
Sutton and Berkemeier said they would work very closely with the VA Medical Center.
"They are very satisfied with the service we are providing," she said. "It is our intention to serve the needs of Franklin County. I have been at this for 10 years and have learned to take the good with the bad."
County board committees begin at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5 in the boardroom located on the third floor of the Franklin County Courthouse.