Hancock County Ambulance to Keep Presence in Warsaw

Warsaw, Illinois will be keeping an ambulance service in the city. After months of arguments and concerns from citizens, the Hancock County Board voted October 17^th to keep an advanced Life Support unit in Warsaw. The discussion began after it was announced that costs associated with keeping a Basic Life Support unit in Warsaw were unsustainable. The board came to a compromise by removing the Basic Life Support ambulance previously housed in Warsaw which will save the ambulance service roughly 21 thousand dollars and payroll. Previously, both of Hancock Counties Advance Life Support units were kept in Carthage but one of those will now be relocated to Warsaw to fill the vacancy left by the BLS unit’s removal. Before the reconfiguration of ambulance services can go into effect it must be approved by the Illinois Department of Public health which Ambulance Director Gabe Smeltser notified the board could take up to 60 days.