Emergency agencies team up for better service

CELINA - The small agencies that provide ambulance service and disaster assistance in Mercer County are partnering for efficiency.

The county's Emergency Management Agency and Emergency Medical Services department officially will unite next month and move into the former county engineer's office on Riley Street in Celina.

"This isn't a cost savings but we think we'll be able to service the public better," commissioner Jerry Laffin said.

Beginning Dec. 20, EMA director Mike Robbins will serve as director for the combined EMA/EMS agency, commissioners announced this week. Matt Nietfeld, current chief of St. Henry EMS, has accepted the full-time position of EMS program coordinator and will start Dec. 1, they said.

"We had a lot of good applications for the job," commissioner Rick Muhlenkamp said, adding seven people were interviewed.

Nietfeld's annual salary was set at $43,680. He is working on certification that would allow him to take over EMA in Robbins' absence, commissioners said.

Nietfeld replaces EMS coordinator Steve Beougher who recently retired after 11 years as chief of the agency.

Robbins' current salary will be adjusted to reflect the additional duties but has not yet been determined, Laffin said.

Commissioners said both offices have few staff assistants: EMS has two and EMA has one. Merging the agencies will allow those employees to cross-train and cover for each other during vacations or other out-of-office events, they noted.

"We checked around and other counties have joint departments like this," Laffin said.

Muhlenkamp said the consolidation seemed like a good fit since the work both agencies perform is related.

Commissioners believe the change could help ease the area's ongoing shortage of squad members for daytime calls. Nietfeld - a certified EMS trainer - can begin offering day classes for night-shift workers available for first-shift squad calls.

The county contracts with outside parties for training classes at $25 to $30 per hour.

"We might also get people from other counties to sign up for the training," Muhlenkamp said, adding the training fees could generate revenue for EMS.

Nietfeld also is certified to check drug boxes in squads - a requirement that currently costs the county about $5,000 per year to ensure drugs and other items in ambulances aren't expired, officials said.

The Riley Street office to be used by the agencies is undergoing renovations such as the addition of new furniture, floor coverings and office equipment.

Commissioners have no plans for the present EMS office also on Riley Street near the council on aging. The EMA office - east of the county's Central Services Building - likely will be used as an extension of the adjacent prosecutor's office, they added.