UPDATE: POPLAR GROVE (WIFR) -- People in northern Boone County will soon know who exactly will be responding to emergencies should they need an ambulance.
North Boone Fire District #3 leaders say they realize Capron Rescue Squad District has the upper hand meaning North Boone will likely have to cave into what Capron wants North Boone's role to be.
"I really didn't think it'd be that hard to do something to serve the public, and that's all we ever wanted to do. We just would like to get along and work together. They have everything and I guess it would be up to them to give up something for us, and I understand that," says Ray Morse, president of North Boone Fire District #3 board of trustees.
Morse says negotiations with Capron were going smoothly today. North Boone Fire District #3 bought an ambulance this year and want to run it out of their Poplar Grove station but Capron Rescue Squad is a taxing body with jurisdiction over ambulance service
in that area and has been for decades. Capron board president Owen Costanza says he would like North Boone's ambulance to act as a back up for Capron but North Boone originally wanted more.
"North Boone 3 does a great job at what they do; they're a great resource and we to work together with everybody," says Costanza. "We have to follow the structure that's put in place by us and the comments I've made is we will continue to follow the law and the protocols."
North Boone Fire District #3 says acting as Carpon's backup
is likely the only thing they can do because Capron has jurisdiction and they hope to hammer out an intergovernmental agreement soon.
In the meantime, Boone County 9-1-1 will not be dispatching North Boone's ambulance to any emergencies until an agreement is reached.
We heard from sources that North Boone fire leaders walked out of the early morning negotiation with Capron Rescue Squad. We asked North Boone if it's true, and they said while they didn't say good-bye to the Capron Rescue Squad in person, they didn't walk out and are determined to come to an agreement on how they can help serve the area.
UPDATE: BOONE COUNTY (WIFR) – North Boone Fire leaders say they need to clear the air as they continue to fight to expand their ambulance services.
The North Boone Fire District No. 3 and Capron Rescue Squad say they're working on an agreement, avoiding a legal dispute determining who can offer ambulance service in Poplar Grove.
Capron Rescue Squad has been the ambulance authority in North Boone District 3 since the late 50's, but this year North Boone decided to buy a and operate an ambulance out of its Poplar Grove station- a move than met much resistance from Capron Rescue.
Capron filed an injunction against North Boone Fire District 3 earlier this year, but dropped the lawsuit earlier this week when both sides agreed to discuss North Boone's role in offering ambulance services moving forward.
Those discussions have yet to take place but are scheduled for January 8th of next year.
"It's a little disturbing that we got so much friction from the Rescue Squad," said North Boon Fire District No. 3 board president Ray Morse. "They want us to come to a joint agreement where we'll be happy, they'll be happy and we can work together and that's all we wanted to do is work together."
BOONE COUNTY (WIFR) – A plan to put more ambulances on the road, which could mean quicker responses in emergencies, has been put on hold.
The Capron rescue squad filed an injunction to stop the formation of the North Boone Fire Protection Number Three’s Ambulance Squad. Capron Rescue says the fire district needed to put a referendum on the ballot which didn’t happen.
"We're not against the fire department starting ambulance service the way the law is interpreted by our lawyer they need to go to referendum before starting an ambulance service. We felt they didn't do that, they didn't take the proper steps,” said Capron Rescue Squad Board President Owen Costanza.
The Capron Rescue Squad has been around since the late 1950’s and is funded through taxes. The board’s president, Owen Costanza says people who live within the Fire District would have to vote whether to pay an additional tax for that new ambulance service. However, when it comes down to it, Costanza says his squad has no problem handling the nearly 70 runs each month.
Terry Logan’s bar, The Stumble Inn is right next to one of the stations and say she doesn’t think there are enough calls to warrant the need for two companies.
"I don't know exactly how much these folks are utilized but without knowing that, I just don't see another, I just don't see the need,” said Logan.
We spoke with the fire chief who didn’t want to comment.
We’re told the Capron Squad is willing to work with the Fire District and Costanza says he has a standing offer for the Fire District to have an ambulance assist the squad when they’re overwhelmed with calls. The Capron Squad already works with three other ambulance services for those situations.
