Ambulance station work is going well

Jason Nelson told Allen County commissioners Tuesday that the 410 N. State St., site for county ambulances should be ready for occupancy by Aug. 1.
“They’re putting in the flooring this week and moving right along,” said Nelson, ambulance director.
Allen County also has ambulances stationed in Humboldt and Moran.
Commission Chairman Gary McIntosh said he would talk with Iola commissioners about installing a drain pipe between the ambulance property and railroad right of way that eventually is expected to carry an extension of the Prairie Spirit Trail hiking and biking path. That would give ambulance crews an emergency exit to their quarters if an event shut off access to State Street.
The pipe will be necessary to carry water in a drainage ditch along the right of way opened by city crews earlier this year.
Commissioners signed an agreement with Eagle Med, which provides air ambulance service to the county, that will compensate ambulance crews for treatment given whenever a patient is transported by helicopter from an accident scene.
Nelson said as was, the county was left out of the financial loops because of transport by ambulance was the billing trigger, although crews always treated and stabilized patients before they boarded helicopters.
The compensation won’t amount to a great deal, he said, “but there will be some.”