WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |Debate over city ambulance service continues...
Member Center:
We first reported in May 2007 that the city of La Crosse was looking into a city ambulance service that would be staffed by city firefighters.
Over the past year city and county officials have been working with both local hospitals and Tri-State Ambulance to create a plan for a new EMS system that everyone could agree on.
Now more than a year later there seems to be no agreement between the city and Tri-State.
Tri-State Ambulance which is owned by Gundersen Lutheran says all the parties havent gotten together to discuss the issue in at least six months.
They say the city seems to be hiding what's going on.
Tri-State says they have heard through numerous media sources that the city and the county have came up with an agreement but they say they are in the dark.
The city of La Crosse Legal Department did confirm with us that some sort of legislation regarding the issue will be presented to the city council within the next month.
Tri-State and Gundersen says they haven't been told what's on that legislation.
They say the current ambulance system is working well and adding another service is not necessary.
We did contact numerous city officials including the mayor, and some city council members.
They all refused to comment on camera.
The mayor told us there is nothing new in mediation to report.
The mediator in all of this is County Board Chairman Steve Doyle.
We stopped by his office today.
He told us that all parties are under a confidentiality agreement and until that changes, possibly later in the week, no one from the city, or he will comment on the situation.
Doyle has said that he would like a public hearing to take place before any proposals are made.
