Joint Ambulance District rated 'resounding success'

CELINA - The Mercer County Join Ambulance District has been "a resounding success" for Celina, substantially reducing the strain on Mercer County Emergency Medical Services personnel, a pair of city officials confirmed at Monday night's regular city council meeting.

Voters at the November 2024 general election overwhelmingly supported an additional five-year, 1-mill property tax levy to finance the newly established ambulance district serving Blackcreek, Butler, Center, Dublin, Franklin, Hopewell, Jefferson, Liberty, Union and Washington townships as well as the municipalities of Celina, Coldwater, Mendon, Montezuma and Rockford.

The new levy provides on-call pay for six volunteers - three at the Coldwater EMS branch and three at the Rockford EMS branch. On April 1, volunteers began earning $5 for every hour they're on call.

Furthermore, the levy can fund up to four full-time paramedics to provide support for volunteers on squad runs. The paramedics are dispatched to meet ambulances anywhere in the district via chase vehicles and provide the highest level of prehospital care.

The levy generates $1.18 million annually and costs the owner of a $100,000 home $35 per year. It commenced in 2024 and was first due in calendar year 2025.

"That was a great EMS levy that got put on," Mayor Jeff Hazel said. "It did allow three more … individuals in our fire department, to be able to take some of that stress off. Our guys were reaching that breaking point because we were doing over half the runs in the county."

Councilman Joe Wolfe, who serves as the city's representative on the ambulance district, attended a meeting last week in which statistics for 2025 were presented. The chase vehicles responded to 16 calls in Celina, 101 calls in Coldwater and 132 calls in Rockford.

From April to the end of 2025, the Coldwater EMS branch logged 19,711.5 on-call hours and paid out a total of $98,557.50 to the on-call volunteers, according to a report handed out by Wolfe. During that same period, the Rockford EMS branch logged 10,530.25 on-call hours and paid out a total of $56,621.25.

Together, the two branches logged 30,241.75 on-call hours and made $151,178.75 in payments from April through the end of the year.

"Since we've went with the chase vehicles and having the paid on-call with the other communities, it's kind of been successful. In their opinion, it's working out fine - and I agree with that," Wolfe said.

Wolfe also relayed comments made by Mercer County EMS director Kara Smith. The Mercer County Commissioners in March approved a two-year contract with Mercer County Joint Ambulance District which, among other provisions, puts Smith in charge of overall operations and training.

"One of the comments that was made by the EMS director is normally we (Celina EMS) would assist Rockford, a lot. Since we got the on-call and the chase vehicles, that's really dropped tremendously," Wolfe said. "She said that we assisted St. Marys on mutual aid runs more than we did Rockford last year. So that's pretty good compared to what it used to be. It used to be we were in Rockford all the time - and the guys were getting burned out with all the squad runs."

In regard to total run volume in 2025, Celina responded to 2,090 calls, compared to 1,996 in 2024, Coldwater responded to 641 calls, compared to 625 in 2024, and Rockford responded to 466 calls, compared to 430 in 2024.

"We've got 2,000 runs in Celina and then you're taking half of Rockford's squad runs. (Those) guys were getting hit pretty hard," Wolfe said about conditions prior to the ambulance district's formation.

Wolfe said the ambulance district has been successful and hopefully will continue to be going forward.

"So you'd say this has been a resounding success?" asked councilman Matt Gray.

"Absolutely," Wolfe replied.

Hazel, too, responded affirmatively.

"You can just tell by those numbers there … really it's been a very good success in this first full year of seeing how it's run because that is taking the load off of Celina," Hazel said.

The report also noted that Mercer County EMS received two new ambulances in 2025 that will replace a 2010 remount at the Celina Fire Department and a 1999 unit at the Coldwater Fire Department.

The two Horton F-550 4x4 Type I ambulances came from Ohio-based dealership Atlantic Emergency Solutions. Each unit cost $319,242. One was funded by the county commissioners with American Rescue Plan Act funds, and the other with revenue generated from patient transports, Smith told the newspaper last month.

"It is also important for the public to understand that the cost of an ambulance reflects only the vehicle itself. Essential lifesaving equipment is purchased separately and represents a significant additional investment," she said. "For example, cardiac monitors typically cost around $50,000, and powered stretchers are approximately $70,000."