Edgar County

Edgar County Board awards Ambulance contract to Horizon Health –

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PARIS, IL. (ECWd) –

In a 4-3 vote at this morning’s Special County Board meeting, the Edgar County Board voted to award the Special Service Area Ambulance contract to Horizon Health (Paris Hospital). A note of interest is the fact the Special Meeting held today was not published in the newspaper as required by law.

Public comment was heard, with the several officials from Horizon voicing their support of Horizon being awarded the contract.

In the awarding of this contract, the Edgar County Board, on behalf of the Special Service Area, basically drove five ambulances, a small business, numerous employees, and tax revenue out of Edgar County on a promise.  A promise that Horizon will be in compliance with the contract terms by its effective date of June 1, 2019.

The contract term calls for three ambulances, Horizon has stated they will have their third ambulance by the time the contract is in force.  There was no discussion as to what happens if that does not happen as promised.

By contrast, the ECSSAA already has five ambulances and has for some time.

The vote totals were:

  • In favor of the ECSSAA: Board Members Ludington, Bruner, Chittick
  • In favor of Horizon: Farnham, Voight, Lorenzen, Patrick

We have confirmed the ECSSAA will close their doors at midnight, May 31st, 2019.

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Categories: Edgar County, feature

7 replies »

  1. I worked up there a few years ago. I loved the EMS side of it but honestly the ER was the worst I have ever been in in my almost 30 years on the streets. Flying for 7 years, I’ve seen some small ER’s but Paris’s ER was the shittiest I’ve ever seen. Perhaps they should try to provide a better hospital experience instead of having an inept ex-flight nurse trying to run an ambulance service.

  3. Horizon Ambulance has AMAZING PARAMEDICS AND EMTS who are dedicated and committed to go out of there way to provide the best care for their patient’s, which is what you need for a ambulance service. It doesnt matter if there is 1 ambulance or 10 ambulances. It’s the quality of care that matters the most in my opinion.

  4. I guess it’s easy to win a contract when you have your stepfather posting one of the winning votes. He should have not been able to have voted due to relative involvement, isn’t there some guidelines when a member has to excuse themselves from voting…… a little bias for a relative?

    • Who were the 4 who voted for Horizon? Isn’t that a conflict of interest? Need to know who NOT to vote for 🙁

  5. More and more corrupt county boards, an illness that seems to be covering the whole state from Springfield/Chicago to all other areas.

  6. I have 2 thoughts on the county ambulance decision. First I feel like the horizon health ambulance wasn’t qualified to put in their bid with only 2 ambulances and used not up to date equipment. 2nd- patrick’s Vote is not legal in my eye but like other things in this county isn’t done legally either.