Council discusses ambulance shortfalls, a policy to prohibit transporting deceased in trucks, and clarifies Highway 378 jurisdiction

Marion County council members discussed emergency medical services capacity, a proposed internal policy on handling the deceased, and jurisdiction over Highway 378 after a council member raised public concerns and an online petition.

A council member described a recent crash in which it took a long time for an ambulance to arrive and urged the county to adopt a firm policy prohibiting transport of deceased persons in the backs of trucks, saying such transfers should occur only in ambulances. "We need to make sure we have some strong policy in place, that we will not be transporting deceased persons, in the back of trucks. It will only be transferred in, ambulances," the member said.

Council staff confirmed that two new ambulances are on schedule and should be operational in about two weeks, and said staff will review options for interim backup arrangements, including contracting private services, with DMS. Council members discussed a prior plan to acquire one ambulance per year to maintain a functioning vehicle at each station and two backups, but noted that funding must be identified before continuing purchases.

The conversation also addressed a petition on change.org calling for widening Highway 378 to four lanes. Council members clarified that Highway 378 is a state highway maintained by the state DOT and that expansion would be handled at the state level; short-term DOT measures to improve safety were described as already under consideration. "Mister Rogers is not that's a state highway, which is maintained by the state," a council member said, adding that long-term widening would be expensive and managed by state agencies.

No new county procurement or binding policy was adopted at the meeting; council members directed staff to review interim ambulance options and to consider formal policy language regarding handling of deceased persons and emergency-response protocols.