Hickory Point Fire Protection District begins ambulance service

FORSYTH, Ill. (WAND) - In November, voters approved a referendum to expand the Hickory Point Fire Protection District's fleet of vehicles to include an ambulance. A tax levy paid for two ambulances, required equipment, and salaries to staff the vehicles.

One of the ambulances has been in service since Monday. Fire Chief Josh Trendler said the new equipment fills a dangerous gap in the community.

"Critical medical issues like heart attacks, difficulty breathing, all of those things can start out small but they can be really difficult as they progress," said Trendler.

Trendler said the department has seen an increase in calls in recent years and he wanted to ensure the level of service the department could provide was still high. Since Monday, the department has been running one ambulance full-time to respond to calls.

"Our call load has increased significantly over the last several years and so it kind of makes sense to have people here all the time," said Trendler. "It's really important, especially in medical emergencies, that you have close advanced care."

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The Department said they are grateful voters agreed to help purchase the ambulances. The chief said community members have very supportive as the department works on upgrades.

"It is nice to see the community behind us, all the way from our village trustees all the way to our residents," said Trendler. "They have all been very supportive of us and we really hope to support them as we have in almost 80 years as a fire department."