Last Thursday, the fiscal court accepted a two-year deal with Mercy Regional Emergency Services in Paducah to operate the emergency service by a 3-1 vote. By accepting the contract, the county will be relieved of any day-to-day operations of the ambulance.

However, the county will fund the contract with a $230,000 yearly subsidy to Mercy. The county will also be responsible for repairs, fuel and upkeep of the ambulance fleet.

Mercy will be responsible for daily operations, billing and the hiring and paying of ambulance service employees. Mercy will be able to keep any revenue generated by the service, though.

Judge-Executive Joe Ward, who had to deal with the tumultuous issue for over a year, says the ambulance service is now where it belongs, in the hands of the ones trained to run an ambulance service. Ward and the county's magistrates have expressed on several occasions that it is not in the best interest of the residents or fiscal court to manage such a specialized service.

Magistrate Roy Ringstaff, though, believes the hefty subsidy to Mercy was also not in the best interest of the public. Ringstaff was the only magistrate to vote against awarding Mercy the contract, stating that the cost was "overboard" and management could have been found at a fraction of that cost.

Ward and magistrates Jerry Deatherage and Terry Stringer favored handing management over to Mercy. Magistrate Joe O'Bryan was unable to attend last Thursday's meeting.

Ward knows the decision may not be popular with everyone, but favored the safety and welfare of the people the ambulance services.

Mercy had inked a six-month contract in January that had been extended until the county could decide on what it wished to do with the service.