FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — Allen County officials have resolved a potential disruption in emergency medical dispatch (EMD) services after a public dispute with the Three Rivers Ambulance Authority (TRAA) over payments for calls outside Fort Wayne city limits.
Allen County Commissioner Ron Turpin, speaking on Fort Wayne’s Morning News with Kayla Blakeslee, explained the situation: “TRAA, for 40 years, has provided emergency and non-emergency transportation, as well as EMD services. When TRAA came to us and said, ‘well, county, you know, 400,000 would have been a good deal,’ … the numbers were all across the board. It didn’t make sense for taxpayers to foot the bill for something that had been provided for free.”
EMD services go beyond standard 911 calls by offering medical assistance and instructions, such as CPR guidance, while help is en route. Turpin reassured listeners that county residents’ safety was never at risk. “911 was never an issue here. We had the agreement signed with Heartland December 29th. No one, nothing was ever dropped. They went live on that day … the citizen never noticed it,” he said…