Emergency crews responded to a car submerged in Lake Maxinkuckee Saturday morning. Culver-Union Township Firefighters say in a Facebook post that they were called to the 18B Road public access site at 5:15 a.m. to assist the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, responding with a boat and divers. Firefighters say the car was submerged in six feet of water about 150 feet offshore, but they determined that everyone had been able to get out of the vehicle.
Continue readingCulver Town Council Agrees to Fund Additional Full-Time EMS Employee
After discussion the issue at length in a work session last week, Culver Town Council members agreed Tuesday night to fund an additional EMS full-time employee.
Continue readingCulver EMS to Update Cardiac Monitors
Ambulances within the Culver-Union Township EMS fleet will soon be outfitted with new cardiac monitors.
Continue readingCulver Firefighters Battle Midnight Structure Fire
Firefighters battled a midnight fire Saturday in Culver.
Continue readingPulaski Commissioners Approve Emergency Services Agreement for Tippecanoe Township
Monterey-area residents will continue to get emergency medical services from Culver. The Pulaski County Commissioners Monday approved an agreement with Culver EMS for services to Tippecanoe Township, despite the fact that Culver EMS is raising its annual fee from $6,000 to $6,500.
Continue readingPulaski Commissioners to Hear IT Proposals, Discuss Emergency Services Agreement
With Pulaski County’s IT contractor planning to quit in January, the county commissioners this morning will hear about a couple of options for how to move forward. A representative from the Roeing Corporation is scheduled to present IT outsource information, while Mark Harvey will discuss a request to complete an IT assessment.
Continue readingFrancesville Raising Rent for EMS Base
Pulaski County may soon be paying more for EMS-related costs, due to changes made by some local towns. EMS Director Brandon DeLorenzo told the county commissioners Monday that the Town of Francesville is raising the monthly rent on the ambulance base used by the county from $575 to $650.
Continue readingCulver EMS Still Short Paramedics
Culver EMS Director Kathy Hart is still short paramedics in her department.
Continue readingCulver Police Officers, EMS Employees to be Paid for Unused Holidays, Vacation Days
The Culver Town Council has agreed to pay police officers and EMS employees for unused holidays and vacation days. During last week’s meeting, Police Chief Wayne Bean explained that staffing issues have made it hard to provide coverage while still allowing officers to take time off. He didn’t think that carrying those days over into the new year would solve the problem. EMS Director Kathy Hart reported similar challenges.
Culver-Union Township EMS Gains New Employee, Prospective Buyer Looks at Ambulance
Culver-Union Township EMS gained a new employee after town council members approved a hiring request from EMS Director Kathy Hart at their final meeting in May.
Director Hart asked the council to consider hiring Stephen Kobitz as fulltime employee. Council President Ginny Bess Munroe asked the director to state the rate for the record. She said that the new hire would be making $16 per hour and would be required to work 36 hours per week. Continue reading
Culver Town Council Approves Increased Pay for Advanced Paramedics
The Culver Town Council approved an ordinance amendment that increases the hourly wage for a new advanced paramedic to a range from $10.00 to $15.50 an hour beginning Nov. 1.
EMS Director Kathy Hart thanked the council and noted that the increase will help attract advanced paramedics to the department. She said several applicants have turned away from the position after learning that the wages aren’t comparable to other area departments. This will allow Culver EMS to be more competitive when seeking applications. Continue reading
Culver Town Council Adopts Financial Resolution to Purchase New Ambulance
The Culver Town Council Tuesday night reviewed a resolution outlining the terms of a financial plan to purchase a new ambulance for Culver Emergency Medical Services.
The lowest bid for a 2017 ambulance came from Medix in the amount of $127,865. The Union Township Trustee and the Town of Culver will equally split the cost of the vehicle. The township will provide $63,932.50 while $20,000 will come from this year’s EMS budget. The town will complete the funding with $43,932.50 from the General Fund.
Culver Town Council to Interview EMT Candidates, Advertise for Ambulance Purchase
The Culver EMS staff is busy interviewing candidates for the full-time position available in the department. Three candidates have expressed interest in the paramedic position.
EMS Director Kathy Hart will set up an interview session with the town council members in the next couple of weeks in order to get the paramedic position filled.
Culver EMS Looking to Fill Full-Time Paramedic Position
Culver EMS officials sought approval from the Culver Town Council to hire a paramedic for the third full-time ALS position.
Interviews are being conducted to backfill the full-time spot as the current paramedic will be filling a part-time paid position.
Culver Council Reorganizes for 2017
The Culver Town Council met on Tuesday to reorganize for the year of 2017. Council President Ginny Bess Munroe and Vice President Sally Ricciardi were reappointed to their positions. Continue reading
Culver EMS to Continue Serving Monterey
The town of Monterey in Pulaski County will continue being served by Culver EMS after the county commissioners this week decided to stay with the agreement in place with Culver EMS that renews annually. Brandon Cooper with Culver EMS approached the commissioners and explained that the contract between his department and the county had lapsed, and he proposed a three-year contract at $6000 per year to ensure they keep the same rate.
Culver EMS Sports New Tees For Breast Cancer Awareness
For the second year in a row, Culver-Union Township EMTs are sporting blue and pink “EMS For A Cure” shirts in support of breast cancer awareness. EMS Director Robert Cooper said this is an internal effort, not a fundraiser, and each of the department’s 29 EMTs purchased the shirts with a portion of the purchase price going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Culver EMS Steps Up Volunteer Recruiting Efforts
Culver EMS Director Chuck Dilts told the town board this week that his department has been working through various means to get more volunteers, and their efforts have paid off. He says they’ve had several inquiries as a result of their increased effort, and an EMT course began Monday with a dozen students.
Culver EMS has sponsored several of the students, but Dilts requested permission to spend $4000 to sponsor the eight remaining EMTs enrolled in the class. He says that, in return, the students would sign a one-year agreement to serve as a volunteer. Funds for the sponsorship would come from his budget.
Culver EMS Looking for Volunteers
Culver EMS Director Chuck Dilts told the town board this week that their volunteer numbers are dwindling from people retiring and moving on for other reasons. Because the numbers are decreasing so drastically, Culver EMS is now looking for volunteers that want to help a worthy cause.