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Belpre City Council approves final reading of ambulance contract

Belpre City Council members, from left, Brian Turrill, Donna Miller and Susan Abdella, review papers during Monday’s meeting. Council gave final approval Monday for a contract to provide daytime emergency squad service in Belpre. (Photo by Wayne Towner)

BELPRE — Daytime emergency squad service could be restored in the city of Belpre within the next few weeks following Belpre City Council’s approval of a contract at Monday night’s meeting.

Council approved the final reading Monday of an ordinance authorizing the city’s safety-service director to enter into a contract with Pickaway Plains Ambulance Service Inc., doing business under the name Procare Medical Transportation Service, to provide emergency squad service in the city of Belpre.

The first two readings were approved at the March 13 meeting.

The contract is initially for one year at a cost of $65,000. Mayor Mike Lorentz said Procare will bring in its own personnel and two trucks — one to serve as backup. The squad will operate from Belpre Volunteer Fire Department Station 1 at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Stone Road and will be available from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. seven days a week.

Procare is an established company, which primarily does business in the Columbus area. Lorentz said a couple of steps still need to be taken, but the service could be operating locally by mid to late April.

“It’s an exciting time,” Lorentz said of the upcoming restoration of the paid service. “It’s going to take the stress and strain and the pressure off our guys so they can go to work and know their families are taken care of. We’ll handle the night crew,” he said.

Monday’s action comes about one year after the Belpre Volunteer Fire Department suspended the paid services it previously provided in April 2016. Last October, council approved action to solicit proposals to provide ambulance and emergency medical service in Belpre. Five proposals were submitted and reviewed by city officials before the contract was awarded to Procare.

In other business, Charlene Sinnett, representing Belpre’s Third Ward, announced her resignation from council effective April 30. Sinnett said she is relocating and will no longer be residing in Belpre.

Council President Will Neff asked City Law Director Tom Webster to research what steps the city will need to take regarding filling the seat once it is vacant. The Third Ward — and all of the council seats — are on the ballot for this year’s primary and general elections and that could affect when or if an interim replacement needs to be made.

Council approved the third reading of an ordinance for the city to participate in Ohio’s cooperative purchase program. Second readings were approved for contracts to manage the city’s pool and to contract with the Marietta City Board of Health to provide professional nursing services. The first reading was approved for the annual contract for services through the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District.

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