MERCER COUNTY, Ill. — Mercer County feared they wouldn't have any ambulance service in 2024 after Genesis did not renew their current deal with them. However, after many months of negotiations, a deal was struck between several Fire Protection Districts in the county and Elite Industrial Services.
"The contract will serve a large area in the county," Mercer County Ambulance Committee Spokesperson Michael Sponsler said. "It was so important for us to find a paramedic service for next year and we're very happy to say that our communities will be served by Elite Industrial Services. It's just a big relief."
The contract is set to bring services to Aledo, Joy, Seaton and the city of Keithsburg. The ambulance will be stationed in Aledo but Sponsler says the work is not done yet.
"We're working on establishing more availability of personnel from the fire departments for a backup service backup ambulance," Sponsler said. "There's less people that want to get involved with being a paramedic or with EMS. It's caused many issues and it's a nationwide problem."
Sponsler added he wants to recruit more people to become paramedics and there needs to be more education regarding when to call for an ambulance.
"We need to try to keep ambulances available for the very serious types of emergencies," he said. "We're going to be working on it for the next few weeks, alerting communities and trying to educate them on the changes that are ahead."
Both parties are hopeful to finalize the deal in the next few days. The new contract will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
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