Starke County EMS Director Keith Emigh is still looking to hire part-time EMTs and paramedics. He told the county commissioners last week he only received one application for part-time work last month. Continue reading
Proposed Starke County Truck Route Ordinance Set for Second Reading Tonight
The Starke County Commissioners will consider a proposed truck route ordinance on second reading when they meet this evening.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler has been working with a committee comprised of county officials, farmers, Sheriff Bill Dulin and Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver on the policy.
The eventual goal is to have several local hot-mix asphalt roads to accommodate heavy truck traffic in addition to the highways that crisscross Starke County. Ritzler says eventually all locations in the county will be within a mile of such a road. Continue reading
Starke County EMS Refining Electronic Claims Submission
The electronic billing process Starke County EMS is using to submit claims to BlueCross BlueShield is going well so far. Continue reading
Starke Commissioners to Reorganize, Make Appointments Tonight
The Starke County Commissioners will reorganize for the year when they meet this evening. Republican Kathy Norem returns for another term, alongside Democrat Don Binkley. He was elected two years ago. Republican Charles Chesak will take over the third seat on the county’s executive body. He replaces fellow Republican Kent Danford, who did not seek reelection. Continue reading
Starke Council Sets Maximum Ambulance Purchase Amount
Starke County EMS Director Keith Emigh can proceed with the purchase of an ambulance. Continue reading
Ambulance Repairs Plague Starke County EMS
Starke County EMS has struggled with ambulance repairs over the past month, according to Director Keith Emigh. He told the county commissioners Tuesday the truck based at Grovertown had to be towed to Jim Dobson Ford in Winamac after the cooler went out. The engine was recently replaced, and the repair is covered under the warranty. Continue reading
Council to Discuss Additional Transportation Funds
The Starke County Council will consider a proposal from the highway superintendent with regard to additional state transportation funds when they meet this evening. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler assembled a road funding committee to discuss options for the one-time appropriation from the state. He also hopes to come up with the required local match to draw down additional funds in order to free up $1 million for additional uses throughout the county over the next five years. Continue reading
More Mechanical Woes for Starke County EMS Grovertown Rig
The Starke County EMS rig based at Grovertown is having more mechanical problems. Director Keith Emigh told the county commissioners Monday night the truck is not shifting into first or second gear. He’s not sure if the problem is electrical or is in the transmission. Continue reading
Starke County Officials Slash Proposed Expenditures
Budget constraints have forced the Starke County Council and Commissioners to cut back on proposed big ticket expenditures in the coming year. They met jointly Monday to look at items that can be purchased with money in the cumulative capital development fund. That list included a new ambulance for Starke County EMS, two new patrol cars for the sheriff’s office and three new server computers for the IT department. Continue reading
Starke County EMS Can Treat K9s
Starke County EMS is now equipped to treat the county’s officer dogs. Director Keith Emigh says his staff went through training recently to provide care to the sheriff’s office K9s should they be wounded in the line of duty. Continue reading
Starke County Council Defers Action on Ambulance Purchase
Starke County officials will decide during an upcoming work session whether to repair or replace a 2009 ambulance. EMS Director Keith Emigh has asked for money to purchase a new truck due to extensive mechanical problems with the rig based at Grovertown. Most recently it lost a cylinder, which prompted the request. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Question EMS Purchases
The recent purchase of jackets for full-time Starke County EMS employees who work “consistent monthly hours” has raised some eyebrows. Director Keith Emigh told the county commissioners Monday the coats have reflective safety strips on them and incorporate the new logo patch recently designed for the service. He adds they are the property of the service and will need to be returned if an employee quits or is fired. Continue reading
Starke County Officials Pricing Ambulances
Starke County EMS spent nearly $2,000 last month to keep its fleet on the road. Director Keith Emigh told the commissioners Monday night most of that money went toward the truck at the Grovertown base. He says repairs at the county highway garage cost $1,764.10. Additionally an air conditioning problem on the rig based at Knox and a blower motor problem on the North Judson truck had to be fixed. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Act on Salary Requests
The Starke County Commissioners are recommending the county council increase the emergency medical services director’s salary by $4,000. That would bump Keith Emigh’s annual pay to $45,000, pending council approval. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Reaffirm Support for EMS Policies
Pre-hospital emergency care remains the first priority for Starke County EMS, but it is not their only charge. The Starke County Commissioners reaffirmed that mission statement during their meeting Monday night. A recent Facebook posting about a lack of available county ambulance service due to transfers between facilities prompted the discussion. Continue reading
Starke County Council Prepares For Budget Planning
Starke County department heads will soon begin work on their annual budgets for the upcoming year. Auditor Kay Chaffins says preliminary budgets need to be submitted to the state Department of Local Government Finance by the end of June. This will be the first budget session for Sheriff Bill Dulin and Clerk Vicki Cooley, both of whom were elected last fall and took office in January. Continue reading
Starke County EMS Car to Be Repainted
The county-owned Dodge Charger used by Starke County EMS Director Keith Emigh will soon be repainted. The former sheriff’s department patrol vehicle is currently a two-tone tan with a light bar on the top. Commissioner Don Binkley has asked repeatedly if it can be returned to a solid color so it is not as easily mistaken for a law enforcement car. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Bless Revised EMS Job Description
Starke County EMS Director Keith Emigh has the blessing of the county commissioners to revise a job description within the ambulance service to create an EMS 2 position. That person’s job responsibilities will include hiring and training new staff, oversight of all medics and handling many of the day-to-day operational duties of the service. He or she will report directly to Emigh, who told the county commissioners the new position will ease his workload considerably. The position was posted earlier this week, and Emigh will interview the candidates and do the hiring. He did need the commissioners’ approval of the revised job description. Continue reading
Starke County Officials Studying Morgue Options
The Starke County Commissioners have tasked coroner-elect Adam Gray with finding a suitable space for a morgue. He told the commissioners he needs a completely secure facility to house the county’s cooler and provide a viewing area for family members should an identification need to be made. Gray says the cooler needs 16 feet of clearance. He adds a 20-by-20 space with concrete floors and metal walls will be adequate to meet the county’s needs. The commissioners suggested adding on to the west side of the existing Starke County EMS building in Grovertown or possibly building on another parcel of county-owned land. EMS Director Keith Emigh notes the ambulance garage is a bare-bones facility and said pipes freeze in cold weather. Continue reading
