This year the city of Streator left its contract with American Medical Transport and started its own ambulance service, which is why it’s one of our top stories of 2022. Back in March we learned that AMT was looking for a $700,000 a year subsidy from the city because it was costing too much to run the service by themselves. But the city decided that they didn’t want to do that and would rather start their own ambulance service. City Manager David Plyman says he wanted to look at all the options.
The city would later approve buying three ambulances, including one from the city of Ottawa. Back in July the city also signed two contracts with American Medical Response to get staffing for the ambulances and a second was with North Illinois Ambulance Billing to do the billing. After getting the first two ambulances Plyman says the city has received the third ambulance they ordered and it’s being made ready for future use. After the purchases of stretchers and other equipment the city wanted to create intergovernmental agreements with the townships to provide ambulance service. Reading Township was not willing at first to sign a contract with the city because they wouldn’t have enough money every year. At the time Treasuer Thomas Metzke said the township could only pay $25,000 a year.
Eventually a tentative contract was signed so the township could get ambulance service from the city. The township will hold a referendum in April to try and get the amount they will owe every year to Streator.