Glenwood City Ambulance and Fire Budgets approved

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Municipalities that received emergency services from the Glenwood City Fire and Ambulance departments met last Wednesday evening, August 19th and approved the 2021 budgets for both services.

Only representatives from Glenwood City, Downing and the Town of Emerald were present at the meeting. Other municipalities that receive service include the Townships of Glenwood, Forest, Springfield and Tiffany. Tiffany only receives coverage by the fire department.

Both fire and ambulance budgets for 2021 call for the exact amount of expenses as was planned for 2020.

The budgeted expense for the ambulance service for 2021 is $196,447, while the fire budget was set at $120,524.

Mayor John Larson introduced the ambulance co-directors Julie Lee and Jill Darwin and noted that Darwin took over her duties the first of the year from Char Draxler who resigned as co-director, but continues as an EMT.

Lee addressed the meeting by noting that the service averaged about 200 calls last year and she informed the group that the service now has 16 EMTs and nine drivers. She noted that with the driver and two EMTs on board on ambulance calls allowed for more help at emergency scenes.

She also spoke about the used ambulance the service purchased from Hudson, as they were closing up service and going to another way to provide ambulance coverage saying, “It was a good deal for us.” The unit is a 2012 unit and replaced our 24-year-old unit. The unit cost the city $38,483 and Lee said that it came with a lot of equipment including a three year old defibrillator. She also noted that in 2012 the city purchased a unit that coast $200,000.

As for the fire department, chief Greg Holden talked about the rescue truck that was purchased from United Fire for $30,000 and he noted how much equipment that is carried in that truck. The department had been using an old ambulance for that purpose, which will now be sold.

Holden also talked about the need for a new pumping engine saying that the department’s first line engine is 24 years old carries 1,250 gallons of water, but indicated that he would like to see one that will carry 2,500 gallons of water.

He also noted that the department has three new recruits in school at present and that the department’s membership has increased to 25. He also informed the meeting that a chief officer or a captain will be on call every weekend.

Mayor Larson also noted that the current budget allows for an increase for firefighters wages to $14.00 per hour.