Glen Ellyn to get its second 24-hour ambulance

After several years of discussion, Glen Ellyn leaders finally have budgeted for a second, 24-hour ambulance.

Officials said neigboring communities will no longer assist with Glen Ellyn's additional emergency medical services demands.

In 2007, Glen Ellyn received 1,865 EMS calls. Ambulances from other towns responded to 128 of those calls, officials said.

"First and foremost, having mutual aid at a level that Glen Ellyn is experiencing is less desirable from a patient's perspective because mutual aid takes longer to come into town," Village Manager Steve Jones said. "So our level of emergency response will increase."

When other mutual aid ambulances come into Glen Ellyn, the response time is about eight minutes, officials estimate. But when Glen Ellyn responds to its own calls, it takes about five minutes.

"The burden we're putting on our neighbor is not acceptable," Jones said. "We should be picking up our own need instead of relying upon others."

The village's most recent EMS contract, which expired earlier this year, called for one 24-hour ambulance and one 12-hour ambulance.

Now officials hope is to have two 24-hour ambulances available as soon as possible. They expect to finalize bids and plans toward late winter.

The village's volunteer fire department may need to go through a transition period to reevaluate EMS vehicles, personnel and standards.

Glen Ellyn is expected to pay between $200,000 and $300,000 for the additional vehicle.