Erin ambulance service gets Guelph vote

It’s official.

Though alluded to previously by Lou Maieron, the mayor stated that at a recent Guelph council meeting the agenda included an ambulance for Hillsburgh.

CAO Frank Miele and Wellington County councillor John Chapman were at the meeting as well, Maieron said.

He then commented Guelph city council unanimously approved the move.

Maieron thanked Erin’s council for its support as well as Chapman’s support of the project at the county end.

Maieron offered special thanks to Warden Chris White who agreed this was a serious matter.

“Ambulances are not a small thing like garbage pickup, ambulances are life and death ... every municipality deserves one.”

Maieron said he found the success gratifying after many years of work.

He remembered the issue not starting off in the best way  and eventually working toward  polite meetings to sort the issue out.

Maieron added that having the ambulance will mean some rent generated for space in the fire hall.

That, he said, will help.

“From the City of Guelph side, it is all approved.”

Good planning

The move means there will be an ambulance stationed within the town for 12 hours a day to start.

He considered it good planning for the fire chief and department to have the space set aside for an ambulance bay.

“It turned out to be just the right decision.”

He explained that the ambulance stations are required to be disaster proof.

Council extended thanks to the previous Erin council which had also worked lobbying on the issue.

“It wasn’t just this [current] council who helped make this happen.”

Councillor Barb Tocher added that current fire chief Dan Callaghan also worked very hard to make this happen.