County EMS: Illinois law requires 20‑mile response radius; board to review mutual‑aid clause

County EMS staff told the Edgar County Board that state law requires ambulance services to respond to calls within a 20‑mile radius of their licensed service area and asked the board to review an existing county contract clause that obligates mutual‑aid pacts with contiguous jurisdictions.

That requirement “by law, we are bound to respond within 20 miles of our jurisdiction,” said an EMS staff member during the board’s meeting, adding that the statutory radius would extend the service area south into Marshall but would not reach Martinsville. The staff member said the county has been called 16 times to Clark County year to date, and seven of those calls came in the last two months.

The board discussed options for addressing the overlap between the county contract and the state statute. The EMS staff member said the county contract the board previously approved requires mutual‑aid agreements with contiguous jurisdictions because the county takes contract money tied to that language; one option would be to amend the county contract to remove the mutual‑aid clause so the service would be bound only by the state statute.

Board members asked for clarification on how the 20‑mile radius is measured. The EMS staff member said the statute uses a 20‑mile circumference from a service’s base of operations and that, because the county’s service covers seven districts, the edge of those districts—not the county line—would form the measurement in some directions. The staff member also noted that licensing limits and a river boundary affect whether units may cross into adjoining areas.

The board requested a visual aid and legal review before taking action. The EMS staff member said Bob Coleman was drafting a 20‑mile radius map from the center of the county’s seven townships, and the county attorney was to compile relevant documents in a packet to be delivered to the board by Thursday. The staff member urged the board to consider indemnification language to address liability if an ambulance is available but unable to respond because of contractual obligations.

Board discussion noted that mutual aid is not always reciprocal and that dispatch hierarchies determine which agency is called first based on location. The EMS staff member said the county’s contract and the state EMS statute had slightly changed with an update effective Nov. 1, and recommended board members and staff review that update.

The meeting later included two procedural votes: the board voted to go into closed session to discuss pending litigation and personnel matters, and later approved a motion to adjourn. Both motions were approved by voice vote; a second for each motion was recorded as made by Dan.

The board said it will review the attorney’s packet and the 20‑mile map and return the matter to a future meeting for further direction.