Maryville Fire Department to expand second ambulance service

By Kathy Turner • After six months of operating a second ambulance for three days each week, the Maryville Board on Wednesday, Oct. 15 approved expanding the service to include Saturday and Sunday. On a request by Chief Doug Dankenbring, the second ambulance is used to back up the primary service rather than call out to other communities for assistance.

Chief Dankenbring presented a document that showed a positive revenue stream for the added services. It comes on the heals of a request by Anderson Hospital to assist in transporting patients to and from assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

The current second ambulance schedule is for Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. and is staffed with part-time staff.

In other business, the board approved annexations for the properties located at 17 Rosewood Drive and 18 Rosewood Drive in Maryville along with 5771 Old Keebler Road and 1 Burdick Creek Road in Collinsville.

Steve Rippie will join the village staff in a full-time role. He will be replacement staff in the public works, water and sewer departments. His hiring was approved along with Zachary Smith as a full-time lateral police hire. Smith was sworn in later at the meeting. He was most recently a military police officer for the Air Force.

The next meeting of the Board will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m.