MITCHELL - MARCH 4,2024 - The public hearing scheduled Wednesday night on the proposed fire territory between Marion Township, City of Mitchell, and Spice Valley Township has been cancelled, as Spice Valley Township officials decided to pull out of the fire territory.
By Indiana State law this ends the process until next year.
File photo
According to Mitchell Mayor Don Caudell during their city council meeting Monday night, Spice Valley Township officials decided their taxpayer's would be better served by IU Lifeline Ambulance service for ambulance coverage than by the new proposed fire territory.
Marion Township would not have an ambulance available until 2026 in the proposal presented during the previous two hearings held at the Mitchell Community Center.
Mitchell residents and Mitchell city council members claim the city residents are in need of ambulance coverage. The city has been left without ambulance coverage for three years when Seals Ambulance Service left. The response times to medical emergencies have been over 20 minutes waiting on ambulances from Bedford.
Spice Valley township residents Bill Spreen and Patrick Redman stated that due to the ambulance responding from Mitchell they would just pick up the injured and be in Bedford IU Health Hospital in Bedford before an ambulance arrives at their residence.
Both residents claim that they did not expect for the fire department would be there any quicker since the fire station would be only staffed at Mitchell. The benefits for Spice Valley Township residents is just not as good as those for Marion Township and the City of Mitchell according to those in attendance.
There were no station coverage in Huron in the proposal for Huron, and the Williams area is covered by Indian Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Photo: IU Lifeline Ambulance responds to an emergency on Main Street in Mitchell
IU Lifeline Ambulance has two stations in the City of Bedford with two ambulance stationed at their ambulance station on Clinic Drive and one ambulance stationed at the Dunn Plaza on P Street.
Lawrence County and Orange Counties are considered ambulance deserts due to the lack of available ambulances.
Lawrence County is contracted with IU Lifeline to provide ambulance coverage at a price tag of $1.4 million and Lawrence County Fire Territory provides ambulance coverage for Shawswick and Guthrie Townships.
The budget for the Lawrence County Fire Territory has a budget of $859,000 in 2024.
For breaking news and information go to lczephyyr.org or like/follow the Lawrence County Zephyr Facebook page.
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