Pulaski County EMS In Limbo Waiting On Insurance Adjuster

 
 

Pulaski County EMS is down one ambulance until one damaged during a recent fire can be either certified and put back into service or totaled and replaced.

Director Nikki Lowry told the county commissioners Monday that the county’s insurance adjuster asked her to inspect the truck. Lowry said she’s not qualified to do anything more than determine whether it’s clean. The vendor from whom the county bought the most recent ambulance is willing to help if the county will bring the truck to Iowa.

That’s not an option, according to Lowry, due to uncertainty about the truck’s wiring. Meanwhile, without documentation stating the rig has been thoroughly checked out and is safe, it can’t be placed back in service.

The ambulance was parked at Wagner Performance Diesel Repair near Star City on Feb. 7 when another vehicle in the shop caught fire. Lowry said the county’s insurance company told her to proceed with getting the truck fixed and they would deal with the building owner’s insurance company after the repairs were made. Now the adjuster for the county’s insurance company is delaying the process. Meanwhile, the truck is sitting at the shop in Merrillville where it was cleaned because nobody wants to drive it back. Even if it is returned to Pulaski County, Lowry said no local vendors want to work on it due to liability concerns.

The commissioners asked Lowry to contact the county’s insurance company and stress the importance of resolving the ambulance status. She said she’s done so already via email and phone but will try again.
Lowry also asked the commissioners to review the five applications for the vacant assistant EMS director position and conduct interviews in order to avoid any appearance of favoritism since she has worked with all of the candidates.