An ordinance that requires that private ambulance services to meet new qualifications to work in Charleston was approved at Tuesday night’s Charleston City Council meeting.

City Council member Larry Rennels said the council is proud of the level of services provided by Charleston’s emergency medical technicians.

The citizens of Charleston will not have the same quality of service with a private ambulance company, Rennels said.

Enforcing set qualifications for private paramedics will create stronger consistency with overall possible ambulance services, said City Attorney Brian Bowers.

With consistency, the people of Charleston will know what to expect every time they need help, he said.

“I’d put our department up, pound for pound, against any other in Illinois. I think they’re the best,” said Kris Phipps, fire chief of the Charleston Fire Department.

Phipps said the ordinance was passed for safety issues pertaining to Charleston’s emergency response officials, citizens of Charleston and any employee of a private ambulance service.

The condition of the ambulances is a consistency Phipps is proud of, and he’s uncertain that private companies maintain their vehicles to the same level. No ambulances run over 3,000 miles without an oil change and a technology update, and the station replaces an ambulance every two years, Phipps said.

Some companies may not have up-to-date technology because they do not have the financial capabilities, he said.

“When you call for one of our ambulances, you are essentially calling for an emergency room on wheels,” Phipps said.

The city of Mattoon uses a private company, Mitchell-Jerdan, for ambulance services. The resolution to establish an intergovernmental agreement between Mattoon and Charleston also passed unanimously.

Charleston will now provide billing services for Mattoon when the new Mattoon ambulance is needed because of a lack of Mitchell-Jerdan resources.

Phipps said he doesn’t anticipate much of a need for the new city-operated ambulance in Mattoon.

In other business, a resolution to purchase property at 411 Harrison Ave. was also approved.

The city will buy 1,890 square feet of property from resident Jim Eagan for $2,543. The land is needed for rebuilding Fourth Street and the widening of Harrison Avenue.

Rennels said the decision to buy the land was planned from the beginning of the project.

A verbal agreement was made between Eagan and the city, but the land was not needed until this stage of the project.

During the community comments portion of the meeting, Jamie Christianson asked the board for a human rights ordinance.

With the steady growth of Coles County, the communities are becoming more diverse, and minorities need to be protected, she said.

Christianson gave each city council member a packet of information pertaining to the human rights ordinance that already passed in Danville.

The People’s Ordinance Committee will meet at 6 p.m. on May 29 at the Coles County Center for Human Services to discuss the issue further.

Ashlei Maltman can be reached at 581-7942 or anmaltman@eiu.edu.

City Council Member Lorelei Sims laughs while discussing an ordinance during Tuesday’s City Council meeting- the ordinance would allow fishing with bow and arrows. After being reassured about safety issues, the City Council unanimously approved the ordina

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