Dale County Commission OKs $25,000 to South Dale EMS

Two weeks after making a financial appropriation to an emergency medical service in the county, the Dale County Commission approved an appropriation to a second emergency medical service in the county.

The South Dale EMS will receive a $25,000 appropriation after a unanimous vote of the Dale County Commission at the commission meeting Feb. 8. This appropriation was made at the request of Dale County Commissioner Charles “Chic” Gary in a motion seconded by Dale County Commissioner Frankie Wilson.

Wilson had made the request to give a $25,000 appropriation to the Echo EMS at the commission meeting Jan. 25. At that meeting Wilson had noted that the Echo EMS is not located in a town or city limit or incorporated area. “They receive no subsidy from any governmental agency like some EMS services do—and should,” Wilson said in making the request.

“Let me remind you, Daleville EMS and South Dale EMS, you all service areas that have a town council,” Wilson had said to representatives of those services attending the Jan. 25 meeting. “I encourage you to reach out to your municipality and hopefully get some monthly and yearly financial support from the towns you serve.”

Citing the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic and increased operating costs, the request said that the employees of South Dale EMS have worked steadily to provide services to the citizens of South Dale County, to include the towns of Newton, Pinckard, Napier Field and the city of Midland City.

The $25,000 will be used to purchase supplies, fuel and pay salaries, said Dale County Commission Chairman Steve McKinnon, reading from the South Dale EMS request.

“As we discussed at the last meeting I think both of these entities know that we have to have some long term solutions as we move forward,” Wilson said.

Dale County Commissioner Donald Grantham, who represents the geographical area which includes Daleville and Level Plains, asked if all the EMS requests for financial assistance would be approved. “I think we’ve opened up a Pandora’s Box,” he said.

“This is a bad situation,” said McKinnon. “I think everyone is aware that we can’t give away the bank up here but we try to work with the EMS departments.”

South Dale EMS Board President Bill Pruitt said that the service had recently received $25,000 from the town of Newton and that plans were to approach the other municipalities in the service area for financial assistance.

In other business, the commission approved retaining the law firm of Bull and Simechak as the county’s legal council for $2,500 a month. Longtime county attorney Henry Steagall told the commission he has joined that law firm. “You get all three of us for the price of one,” Steagall quipped.

The next meeting of the Dale County Commission is Feb. 22 in the county government building in Ozark. A work session begins at 10 a.m. and is followed immediately by a voting meeting. Both meetings are open to the public.