By Brooke McAfee
The Evening News and the Tribune
FLOYD COUNTY, Ind. 鈥� Highlander Fire Protection District is preparing to serve as the primary EMS provider for Lafayette and Greenville townships starting in January.
Since June, AmeriPro Health has been serving as the primary ambulance service for Floyd County outside the City of New Albany, while Highlander is providing secondary EMS service for its coverage area.
Earlier this year, the Floyd County Commissioners rejected a bid from the county鈥檚 previous ambulance service, New Chapel EMS.
In 2025 and 2026, Highlander Fire will step up its services in Greenville and Lafayette townships according to contracts approved by the Floyd County Commissioners earlier this year. AmeriPro will remain the primary provider for Georgetown, Franklin and New Albany townships.
Brandon Alexander, EMS director for Highlander Fire, said the district is 鈥渁ll set鈥� in terms of staffing for 2025.
Since June, the district has been building its staffing to include advanced life support providers.
It currently has three full-time paramedics, five part-time paramedics and three full-time EMTs.
鈥淲e鈥檝e increased our basic EMT and our advanced EMT to just increase our staffing capabilities,鈥� Alexander said.
Highlander Fire has also changed its staffing patterns to ensure that staffing is in place for 24-hour coverage, and it has also added new equipment for advanced life support.
Alexander said the fire district has four ambulances available, including two frontline trucks and two reserve trucks. An additional ambulance is on order that should be available in March to replace one of its reserve trucks.
In 2025, he hopes Highlander Fire can add staffing to operate another ambulance if the revenue becomes available.
鈥淪ince we鈥檝e been doing this, we鈥檝e found that both ambulances out of both of our manned stations stay very busy, particularly with mutual aid calls to the rest of the county,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淪o that would be the biggest thing that I would like to see in 2025.鈥�
Al Knable, president of the Floyd County Commissioners, said the coverage since the transition in ambulance providers has been 鈥渆xcellent.鈥�
鈥淚f phone calls are any indication, I鈥檝e had far fewer concerns with regard to wait times and run times and that type of a thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 still early to say whether there has been a statistical difference or not, but anecdotally, everything seems to be on a little bit higher level of response than what we had previously.鈥�
The contract requires the Highlander Fire Board to provide written documentation that the district has the staffing and accreditation needed to serve as the primary provider for its coverage area.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not asking this because we have any doubts,鈥� Knable said. We鈥檙e asking for this because it鈥檚 a contractual obligation.鈥�
He said at this time, he has 鈥渘o reason to doubt鈥� that Highlander is prepared to increase service.
鈥淓veryone that I鈥檝e met and dealt with there has been very committed to getting this done right for the people of not only Highlander Fire Protection District but also their county,鈥� Knable said.
Floyd County Commissioner Jason Sharp said he is 鈥渃autiously optimistic鈥� about Highlander鈥檚 ability to serve as the primary provider for its area.
鈥淚n accordance with the contract, they鈥檙e going to have to provide one ambulance 24-7, 365 [days a year], and they鈥檙e going to have to provide a second ambulance five days a week, 10 hours a day,鈥� Sharp said.
鈥淪o as soon as we get verification that they鈥檙e fully staffed and ready to go, it will proceed forward as planned,鈥� he said.
He emphasizes that Floyd County has a 鈥渟table EMS system in place.鈥�
鈥淚f someone is having an emergency and they call 911, someone will show up,鈥� Sharp said.
With the transition in service, AmeriPro will offer two ambulances in 2025, but it will no longer offer the chase vehicle.
鈥淭he data seems to support that the chase car is nice to have but not absolutely necessary,鈥� Knable said. 鈥淲e do have quotes from them so we can bring that back online if it turns out that the two ambulances and the backup from Highlander aren鈥檛 adequate in Georgetown and New Albany Township .鈥�
Alexander said the most significant change for Highlander Fire this year involved transitioning from basic life support to advanced life support.
鈥淲e were a basic transport service for the last 20 years just working in a backup role for whichever private provider the county had at that time,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut we鈥檙e really glad that we have the opportunity now to be the primary for our area so that we don鈥檛 have to rely on the possibility of private companies coming and going.鈥�
He feels the transition has gone 鈥減retty well.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 like anything that鈥檚 new 鈥� there鈥檚 some hiccups that you鈥檝e got to learn from, but I think it鈥檚 going really well,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had really good comments from our communities 鈥� they are glad we鈥檙e providing this service now.鈥�
The fire district has seen staffing changes in recent months. In October, former Highlander Fire Chief Jeremy Klein stepped down from the position after being placed on administrative leave in July.
The leave was followed by an investigation into an 鈥淗R-related issue.鈥�
Alexander said Highlander Fire鈥檚 stations are 鈥渟trategically located in our areas to make sure that our run response times are low.鈥� In the past month, the average response time was six minutes from time of dispatch.
Looking long-term, he would like Highlander to increase community outreach, including offering CPR and first aid classes. He also would like to see the department become a training institute for EMS and provide a mobile integrated health program.
EMS options
While the current contracts will remain in place through 2026, Knable said one of his priorities in 2025 will be exploring long-term options for EMS.
In September, the Floyd County EMS Task Force recommended a county-based, standalone model for ambulance service.
Other options include fire-based EMS and privatized EMS.
Sharp is an advocate for the county-based EMS option, and he wants to receive more feedback from the public on this proposal.
There are currently many 鈥渕oving parts鈥� with ambulance service in Floyd County, he said.
Regarding the county-based option, Knable said it is being 鈥渓ooked at very thoroughly right now.鈥�
He notes the proposal to create a fire territory bringing together Georgetown, Franklin and New Albany townships.
鈥淲hether that would facilitate a county-based EMS or not I don鈥檛 know,鈥� Knable said.
Privatized EMS is 鈥渦sually the least expensive at least on the books,鈥� Knable said, but it also involves periodic contract negotiations.
With the fire-based option, the fire boards will need to agree to offer the service, Knable said.
There are also financial challenges with this option, he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not as pristine as everyone thinks it is from a monetary standpoint because taxpayers still ultimately fund any of these three [options],鈥� Knable said.
However, he said the county is 鈥渋n an immeasurably better position right now鈥� due to the 0.5% public safety Local Income Tax, which will serve as a funding mechanism for whatever EMS option is chosen.
The Floyd County Council passed the new tax in October.
鈥淚 get it when people say, you鈥檙e passing a tax and you don鈥檛 know exactly what you鈥檙e going to be doing with it, but I liken it to buying a home or a car,鈥� he said.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 go buy a home and then start to save money for it. You go to a realtor or you go to a car lot, and you better know how you are going to pay for it.鈥�
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