By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

Life Support remains in breach of its contract as ambulance service provider with the Central Joint Ambulance District. The district board agreed at its meeting on Wednesday to give the company one month to rectify the situation on not paying the performance bond as required.

Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall gave an update on the progress of the issue to the CJAD board during the district’s monthly meeting. Crall noted that he had attempted to contact Life Support’s attorney on three separate occasions, but has yet to receive a response.

Crall noted that he will attempt to make contact to Life Support’s legal representatives in writing. When CJAD President Dale Sipe asked how much more time the CJAD should give Life Support Crall answered until the May meeting.

Life Support continued to have time variance issues for the month of March with 27 reported time variances. Breaking the variances down into subcategories of nonemergency, wrong address, train delays, multiple calls, miscellaneous, and failure to mark on scene, the CJAD accepted all of the variances except for the four miscellaneous variances and the one failure to mark on scene variance.

The miscellaneous variances were not accepted due to the miscellaneous variances needing to be explained in writing.

“We are getting to the scene on time, but we are getting hammered on the second clock. But that is no big deal,” Life Support COO Jesse Sipe explained to board members.

Dale Sipe interjected that the times were important.

Dale Sipe noted that the CJAD is currently driving through the county inspecting road and residence markers and that they have noticed that are a few markers missing throughout the county.

In Jesse Sipe’s report to the CJAD he noted that two to three members failed the first round of map tests, but that second set of tests are ready for review by the CJAD.

Jesse Sipe also reported that during the month of March Life Support responded to 218 9-1-1 calls.

The next meeting of the Crawford County CJAD will be held at 6:30 p.m. on May 20 at the Plymouth Street Station. The public is welcome to attend.