The Montgomery County Commissioners have entered into an interlocal agreement with the City of Crawfordsville for the provision of countywide emergency medical service.
Under the agreement which takes effect on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, Crawfordsville Fire Department ambulances will respond to all 911 EMS calls in Montgomery County. This will supplement the initial response by the community fire departments and emergency medical responders located in each of the rural townships and towns throughout the county.
The Crawfordsville Fire Department currently provides EMS within the City of Crawfordsville and Union Township, and this agreement will not have an effect on those services. In addition, CFD has historically extended services to some of the outlying townships on a year-to-year basis and has responded with ambulances to ensure coverage when one wasn’t otherwise available.
“This new agreement will create a unified EMS system within the county to ensure that all citizens are getting the best response possible when they call 911,” said Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton. “The City of Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, townships and county fire departments have always worked very well together to ensure that everyone in the county is covered, and this agreement solidifies and expands upon that relationship.”
In 2021, the Montgomery County Commissioners discussed with the county council their concerns about the provision of EMS in the county.
As a result of these discussions, the county hired Ritter Strategic Services to review the provision of EMS countywide. Ritter Strategic Services gathered data on medical emergency calls and received public input through stakeholder meetings and a community forum.
The study concluded that county residents and visitors were not receiving an equal level of service and that the existing structure resulted in delayed responses and patient care. The study recommended that the county establish a county EMS program to ensure an equal level of service and quicker response times throughout the County.
The commissioners voted to seek proposals from EMS providers for the county-wide EMS program. Two proposals were received. One was from the City of Crawfordsville and the other was from a private provider. A review committee consisting of three Council members and one commissioner reviewed the proposals and interviewed both applicants.
The committee recommended that the City of Crawfordsville be selected due to its lower cost and existing level of quality service within the county. The committee also recommended an agreement of seven years with the city. As a result of the committee’s recommendation, commissioners voted to enter into a seven-year agreement with the city for the provision of county EMS.
“We look forward to the city providing high quality, responsive care to all of our residents as a result of this agreement,” said Montgomery County Commissioner President John Frey.
The city will begin staffing an additional paramedic ambulance, dedicated to covering townships outside of Crawfordsville and Union Township on Jan. 1. CFD’s additional fleet of staffed paramedic ambulances will provide backup coverage for the outlying townships.
The city will also provide emergency medical responder training to all area first responders and will offer emergency medical responder training and in-service training to all area emergency medical response departments to ensure the highest level of coordinated care is provided throughout the county.
The CFD was first organized in 1868, became funded by the city in 1888, and has been providing emergency medical response continuously since 1935. The department has more than 40 licensed paramedics and operates six paramedic ambulances, five advanced life support non-transport vehicles, three command vehicles, a mass casualty response trailer, a heavy rescue unit, four fire engines with basic life support capabilities, and two boats. CFD responds to more than 4,500 runs per year.
For more information, visit www.crawfordsville.net.
