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Hardin County to house full-time ambulance unit in White Mills

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Hardin County will launch a ninth full-time ambulance unit, and it will be housed at the West Fardin Fire and Rescue station in White Mills.

According to a release from Hardin County Government, the announcement comes “after months of careful planning and listening to voices from every corner of our county.” The Hardin County Fiscal Court approved a lease agreement between the fire company and the county Tuesday night, with the county paying $250 a month primarily to cover utility expenses.

Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said in the release: “We considered a 40-hour ambulance at the new White Mills station. After listening to many concerns from people in the western, northern, and southern parts of this large county, I’m excited to partner with our newly merged West Hardin VFD. This amazing cooperative effort will now house the long overdue support and lifesaving care of emergency medical personnel to staff a 9th ambulance.  The other four station ambulances will keep their current staffing.”

West Hardin Fire and Rescue raised about $25,000 to cover renovations for the station to be able to host the ambulance and crew. The county says the cost to taxpayers will be about $300,000 in payroll through the end of the current fiscal year. One of the county’s four reserve ambulances will be put into full-time service.

The county’s goal is to have the unit fully operational by mid-November. Follow the Hardin County Government Facebook page for updates.

Area residents voice support for ambulance in White Mills

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More than 100 people were in attendance for the Hardin County Fiscal Court’s Town Hall Forum Monday evening, where the topic of conversation was the possible placement of a Hardin County EMS ambulance unit at the West Hardin Fire and Rescue Station 2 facility in White Mills.

The opinion of those who spoke during the event was largely the same: they believe the county needs to find the money to staff a full-time ambulance unit in White Mills without having to take a unit away from another municipality.

“I understand finances are what they are, and there’s only so much money to go around,” said Cecilia resident Dr. Steven Preston. “I won’t pretend otherwise, but if this committee does not let this happen, you are literally condemning certain people to death. I can’t understand what could be more important in terms of allocating funds than this.”

Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said it would cost the county about $425,000 to bring a ninth full-time unit online, with most of the cost related to staffing. While Taul said other options have been explored such as moving one of the other full-time units or staffing White Mills with a part-time unit, he believes a new full-time unit is the best option.

“There have been 575 runs so far this year in the proposed White Mills redistricted area,” Taul said. “Note that these runs are longer, to reach the hospital and return to the station. Shifting the zone coverage will expand services with a full-time unit in White Mills who will cut response times in half and reallocate equipment and staff to be utilized in a more efficient manner.”

A lease agreement between the county and West Hardin Fire and Rescue will be considered at Tuesday’s fiscal court meeting. Taul said if approved, he plans to announce future EMS plans by Wednesday.

Elizabethtown Fire Department rolls out new vehicles while new station nears completion

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The Elizabethtown City Council met for a work session Monday afternoon.

Elizabethtown Fire Chief Mark Malone provided an update on the city’s fire department. Malone said year-to-date the department has responded to about 1,560 calls. He said the department has a new pumper truck and brush fire truck now in service with another pumper truck to be in service soon.

Malone said Station Four on North Mulberry Street should be occupied by the end of January.

“We had a lot of delays this spring because of wet weather, and that’s pushed us back so they asked us for an extension, so we gave them an extension up until January, so the final completion date should be sometime in December,” Malone said. “The final punch will be after that.”

Deputy Fire Chief David Walters discussed the enhanced training opportunities the department is able to offer, and introduced the six members of the recruit class currently in training. Walters said the city’s investment in fire training, including the department’s live fire training facility, is paying off.

“We’ve probably got the most state of the art facility, and I’m not just saying that, because I’ve been all over the state for training in other facilities, other areas, other districts, and for what we have and for what Chief Malone has went through to think of the stuff that we can do in the training in there and develop that in that plan, I think that’s what’s being seen and we’re being asked if we can utilize it more,” Walters said.

Elizabethtown Planning and Development Director Joe Reverman discussed efforts to develop Roadway Improvement Funding Allocations as a viable option for the city. City Planner Aaron Hawkins discussed progress on the Envision Active Elizabethtown Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan originally commissioned by Greenspace. He said three projects identified for the plan are currently being completed.

“The goal of this plan is to enhance the connectivity, safety, and livability while promoting economic growth in the healthier community, but the overall point of the master plan was to identify a set of projects to improve both the bike and the pedestrian network in the City of Elizabethtown,” Hawkins said.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet November 3.

ECTC celebrates renovations for Occupational Technical Building

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Elizabethtown Community and Technical College celebrated the beginning of phase one of the $60.5 million renovation of the college’s Occupational Technical Building with a beam signing ceremony Monday afternoon.

“The original buildings built for the Occupational Technical Building were constructed in three separate time periods (1966, 1975, and 1985), so even the newest facility is 40 years old, so this two-phase project is really about providing an updated, relevant simulation environment for what students expect in a modern and industrial setting such as we have here in Elizabethtown/Hardin County,” said ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate. 

Pate said the construction project is a milestone for the college as well as workforce development across the region, and students walking into the updated OTB will get “an updated 21st century training environment.”

“We’ve got the best instructors in America,” Pate said. “We have great equipment, but to have a facility that mirrors and mimics what they will see in the workforce and in the workplace here, I think, provides them a more relevant and timely education.”

Pate said the project is a testament to the dedicated staff at the college as well as partners in the community looking to support students and area industry.

“I’m most thankful not just for this project, but I think I’m most thankful that our college and our region work together so well,” Pate said. “This truly is a community project, and so many people from so many facets of our world and life came together to make this happen, and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.”

The completion of phase one is expected as early as December of 2026. Students attending classes in the OTB receive education and training for a wide range of careers involving specialty degrees and licenses. Visit ECTC’s website for more information.