Greene County names new EMS director; board hears staffing, vehicle and uniform changes

Dave Simpson, introduced as the new director of Greene County Animal Service, told the board at a recent meeting that he plans personnel changes, stricter uniform standards and short-term operational steps to shore up ambulance coverage while two vehicles are being repaired.

Simpson said he would appoint Samantha Thornton as training officer and named Jeff Henko as the new supervisor for Team 3. He described current equipment problems — “We currently have 2 units that are out of service,” Simpson said — and said the service will staff a second ambulance from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays to cover busy periods in the Newberry/lines area.

The new director framed the changes as a mix of immediate operational fixes and longer-term planning. “I am here to serve,” Simpson said. “We are gonna make some changes.” He told the board his priorities are keeping ambulances in service and maintaining patient care while he completes hiring and training work.

Why this matters: ambulance availability and staffing affect response times and patient transfers, and the board heard that transfers to referral hospitals remain a substantial workload. Simpson reported the service averages about 70–80 hospital transfers per month and that the county is exploring whether to staff additional trucks on-call or to add regular shifts.

Board members and staff discussed vehicle maintenance and data tracking. The director said the primary Jasonville unit had an air-conditioning failure after recent repair and expected at least one vehicle back in service by the end of the week. Board members requested tracking engine-hours in addition to mileage, to better schedule maintenance: “When you figure the amount of hours in it, it may be close to double the mileage for hours,” one speaker said; Simpson agreed to provide an hours report at the next meeting.

Financial and staffing analysis were also placed on the near-term agenda. Simpson said he asked the billing company to provide average collections by payer type (Medicare, Medicaid, full insurance) for long-distance transfers to places such as Evansville, so the board can model revenue and determine whether adding a staffed truck or a call-team is financially sustainable. The director told the board he aims to present a cost-and-collection analysis next month.

The board heard a status report on billing revenue: the billing service returned $151,495.74 for the period discussed, a difference of $435.56 less than the same month last year, according to the figures Simpson reported.

On personnel and uniforms, Simpson said full-time employees have an annual $200 uniform allowance but acknowledged that $200 is likely insufficient to purchase higher-cost protective boots and other items. He announced a policy change to prohibit shorts for staff because of exposure and bloodborne-pathogen risks: “I’m not allowing shorts to be worn,” he said. The board and the director discussed moving to a universal, professional uniform once procurement and ownership issues are resolved.

Simpson also described planned internal accountability and professionalism initiatives — uniform standards, discipline protocol and a quartermaster-style approach to supplies — and said the county’s pay is competitive, which helps recruitment and retention. He appointed Thornton (a registered nurse with more than 15 years’ experience) as training officer and named Henko (an EMT with more than 20 years’ service) as Team 3 supervisor. He said he has interviews scheduled to fill the remaining open position and expects background/clearance processing to take about 30 days.

The board discussed the community medic program, which began under a grant. Simpson said the program remains grant-funded and that there may be a temporary extension or an additional position funded through the grant through the end of the year; he and county staff planned to meet with program staff to clarify scope and funding.

Formal board business at the meeting included approval of previous meeting minutes and adjournment motions; the minutes-motion and adjournment were moved, seconded and carried without named roll-call recorded in the transcript.

Looking ahead, Simpson said budget hearings are scheduled next week and that staffing and coverage proposals will factor into the budget process. He asked the board for patience as he compiles the operational and fiscal data needed to recommend whether to pursue on-call pay structures, a staffed second truck, or other staffing models.