Henderson County Board

Henderson County Board Discusses Ambulance Services Amid Calls for Local Solutions

By: Andrew Postle, The Quill

The Henderson County Board held its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 14, at 8:30 a.m. at the Henderson County Courthouse in Oquawka. 

Board members present were Richard Bigger, Jon Corzatt, Patty Daniels, Brad Flatt, Kim Gullberg, Dan Jack, Bill Knupp, Kurt McChesney, Sean Meyer, and Janet Stubbs. Deborah Pflasterer was absent. 

The board approved the previous meeting minutes, claims paid, the health department claims report, and travel expenses for Marcus Doyle. 

Members also granted a special use permit and liquor license to the Henderson County Fair Association for August 1.

The board made the following appointments: 

• Marty Lafary to the Henderson County Housing Authority Board for a five-year term. 

• Shannon Courson to the Henderson County Health Board for a three-year term. 

• Cindy Allen to the Henderson County Health Board to fill the vacancy left by Catherine Anderson. 

The board discussed wrapping the courthouse columns in metal but decided to first conduct structural probes to confirm the columns remain sound. 

The majority of the meeting focused on ongoing challenges with county ambulance services. 

Dalton Pullen, Director of North Henderson County Ambulance Service (Oquawka), delivered a strongly worded joint letter on behalf of the three ambulance service directors; himself, Glenda Ehlen, and Lee Moore. 

The letter called for better communication, transparency, and support from the County Board. 

Pullen reported that the Oquawka ambulance has been out of service since January 18, 2026, after the previous medical control provider lost confidence in 24/7 staffing reliability. 

He highlighted the strain on neighboring services, noting that Biggsville Ambulance Service alone responded to approximately 75 calls that Oquawka could not between January 1, 2025, and February 9, 2026.

Since taking the director role in February 2026, Pullen said he has contributed hundreds of volunteer hours to restore service. 

The directors are advocating for a new medical control provider that would enable local EMT training and allow Oquawka to resume part-time operations with backup support. 

They requested board approval to upgrade one ambulance to Advanced Life Support (ALS) status at an estimated cost of $30,000, funded largely through donations and fundraising. 

Pullen challenged the board directly: “Respectfully, if you’re sitting in our seats, would you choose to keep the doors closed indefinitely, or would you choose a path that puts the ambulances back on the road?” 

The directors also requested a public hearing on any proposed outside contract and inclusion in future EMS planning. 

Much of the discussion centered on a potential contract with the Burlington Fire Department (BFD) to provide full-time EMS coverage. 

Corzatt noted BFD currently responds to about 55% of calls in the county. BFD Chief Nathan Toops clarified that no draft contract exists and that his department was approached only to provide options. 

He stated the current contract is no longer sustainable for BFD due to increased call volume (30 more primary responses last year), vehicle wear, and reduced mutual aid. 

BFD offers 24/7/365 coverage with 49 staff members and would consider adding three more. 

However, there would be no dedicated Henderson County unit; response would use whichever unit is available. Patients would be transported to the nearest appropriate facility, which could extend out-of-service times for trips to Monmouth or Galesburg. 

Toops and Ehlen noted that if BFD assumes primary EMS coverage, volunteer ambulance services would likely lose billing revenue for transports, threatening their financial viability.

 Coverage for events like football games and fairs would generally fall to local fire protection districts unless state-required. 

Board President Brad Flatt and other members emphasized the goal of providing the best service for county residents. 

State’s Attorney Kristen Petrie clarified that the volunteer ambulance services operate as independent entities. 

The county’s historical role (established in the 1970s) has been limited to funding support such as insurance, training, and some maintenance. 

It was noted a new tax referendum would be required to fund full county-wide 24/7 paid service, with any new levy revenue unavailable until 2028. 

An earlier county-run ambulance option was estimated at $1.2 million annually and deemed too costly. 

It was reported that local volunteer services have added new members, with Oquawka potentially returning to service in August. 

Board members and directors discussed holding ambulance service meetings monthly rather than quarterly to improve coordination, though no formal motion was made. 

A follow-up public discussion on the topic was held Tuesday evening at the courthouse. 

No decisions were going to be made. The next ambulance service meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, at 7:00 p.m. at the Biggsville Ambulance barn. 

The next regular County Board meeting will be held Tuesday, August 11, at 8:30 a.m. at the courthouse.