Edgar County EMS reports drop in 911 calls but longer turnaround times from out‑of‑area transfers

An Edgar County emergency medical services representative reported February operational data to the board, saying the county received 182 911 calls in February, down from 199 the previous February.

The EMS representative told the board that hospitals in the area — including Carle, Sarah Bush and Union Regional — were full and were holding patients in emergency vehicles while awaiting beds, which resulted in longer turnaround times and several out‑of‑district transfers. The agency recorded 47 transfers in February; the representative said several patients were transferred to Indianapolis, Evansville, St. Louis and Springfield.

The representative said the department recorded two deaths in the field in February. That statistic affected the agency’s chest compression fraction metric for the month; staff said one patient received chest compressions while family members of another were unsure whether they wanted resuscitation, which delayed care and reduced the reported compression time.

February service tallies the EMS representative gave included 34 treat‑no‑transport cases (including refusals), seven public assists, one mutual aid intercept, three public relations events and a heavy month for student classes and training. The representative also reported staffing and training notes: four employees were attending an advanced course, and staff planned upgrades to qualifications for some personnel.

Board members asked for further details and were told Jeremy would provide an updated report before the next meeting.

The meeting later moved to adjourn and the motion passed by voice vote.