Looking Back....Let Peoria Fire Department Operate its Own Ambulance

Peoria Journal Star
February 23, 2005


Let Peoria Fire Department operate its own ambulance

On Feb. 1 the Peoria City Council voted to sell the only Peoria Fire Department ambulance, which has been sitting idle in a garage. It was never allowed to respond to 911 calls. Numerous firefighters who are certified paramedics are not allowed to use their skills. They have been wasted.

To help rectify this situation, I will purchase the PFD's ambulance at its present market value and donate it back to the PFD if these conditions are met:

1. This ambulance will be used for sick or injured Peorians and staffed by PFD firefighters/paramedics allowed to use their advanced life support skills in Peoria.

2. Doctors George Hevesey and Rick Miller have been directors of the Emergency Department at OSF for the past 15 years. They have controlled all ambulances in the area. Both physicians need to publicly declare any fees, stipends, salaries or other benefits they've received from their relationship with Advanced Medical Transport, the only company allowed to operate in Peoria.

3. OSF's Emergency Medical Services Department needs to provide health-care data for the past decade to the city manager and City Council revealing how Peoria's pre-hospital patients did when cared for and transported by AMT. This data was conspicuously absent in the 149-page consultant's report that evaluated fire and emergency medical services in Peoria last year.

The medical ambulance debacle in Peoria, plagued by conflicts of interest, confusion and corporate greed for many years, needs to end.

Dr. John Carroll
Peoria
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My comments today March 29, 2009:

1. I wasn't taken up on any of my offers. I thought it would be win-win for the city of Peoria. But other people influencing and making local EMS policy obviously did not agree.

2. I heard from an excellent source that a high ranking physician in the EMS circle approached the Peoria Fire Department (PFD) and tried to cut a deal with them. The PFD was allegedly told that if they paid this physician, the PFD would be able to advance their level of care for the people of Peoria. The PFD did not think this was the manner in which policy should be changed, and declined the offer.

3. Once again, the PFD remained at Basic level and non transport. As mentioned in the previous post, the PFD ambulance was sold.