Abbott EMS officially begins operation in Macon County

DECATUR, ILL. (WAND) - Back in June, workers at Decatur Ambulance Service were notified that HSHS St. Mary's would discontinue the emergency services September 1st, 2022. The City of Decatur opted in a new company. Abbott EMS officially began operation as of October 7th, 2022.

Over the years, the ambulance service has improved. With a recent trend of EMS's being short staffed across the nation, here is Abbott's plans to fix that locally.

"We're starting an earn while you learn, so that people who want to get into EMS, don't have the financial barriers. That program is really set up to get their feet wet," said Brian Gerth, regional director at Abbott EMS.

"They have been really working hard, long hours. Filling in the gaps when they need to," said Shaun Rapp, operations manager at Abbott EMS.

When the change was announced in June, previous DAS workers were concerned with being out of a job. However, Abbott quickly honored the DAS Union, promising their jobs despite the company switch.

"When we got the announcement that HSHS was going to close the doors, obviously there was some apprehension of uncertainty. They jumped right in and made us feel really comfortable, welcomed and assured that we were going to have a job. They've been wonderful to work with," said Rapp.

As for the community, the new company says education is their gateway for improvement. Offering several programs that will educate the general public on basic skills.

"We have several programs that we do. We do community education so the general public can have education as well. Then each season we'll try and focus on a new type of education and try and get it out to the public," said Gerth.

If you're interested in the 'Earn while you Learn', a paid training program that prepares you for employment with Abbott EMS, visit their website for more information.