Resident urges Skokie board to vote on adding ambulances and change EMS transport protocol

A resident asked the Village Board Aug. 4 to address what he called a shortfall in ambulance capacity and to adopt a formal policy directing emergency medical services to bypass the closest hospital and transport certain patients to Lutheran General Hospital.

David Dahlke identified himself as representing the interests of 9330 Laurel and presented a letter dated Aug. 1 from a physician at Lutheran General Hospital requesting that “emerging emergency medical services bypass the closest hospital and transport [the] patient to Lutheran General Hospital” for a specific patient, who is Dahlke’s father. Dahlke asked the board to convene a meeting within seven business days with the new fire chief, the mayor, and the Lutheran General EMS lead to create a “permanent solution,” and he later asked that the board hold a formal vote within two months on whether the village should add additional ambulances (he suggested the village consider increasing total ambulances from current levels toward six, seven or eight).

Dahlke compared ambulance counts in other communities during his comments, saying Rosemont and Oak Brook Terrace operate two ambulances for their populations and arguing Skokie should increase capacity. He referenced a prior fire-department presentation in May and told trustees he believed the board should vote to put its position on the public record.

Mayor Ann Tennis and other board members did not take action on the requests during the meeting; no motion or staff direction to change transport protocols or approve additional ambulances was recorded. The remarks were taken as public comment; the village manager and fire department were not recorded as having committed to a timeline or vote in the meeting minutes.