Commissioners sign IDHS mutual aid agreement

I wanted to bring this up and see other people's opinions. It sounds like the commissioners are considering making it mandatory that all people in Rush County would have to be transported to RMH in the event they needed an ambulance. They don't seem to understand that there are decent areas of the county that are closer to other hospitals than RMH. I live in Carthage's territory and am closer to Hancock Regional than RMH. I could drive myself to Hancock faster than an ambulance could take me to RMH, if we left my house at the same time (with me driving the speed limit).
How is transporting me to RMH due to ignorant protocols and delaying hospital care in any way, shape, or form better for me as a patient? Additionally, taking me to Hancock puts me that much closer to the major trauma, surgery and heart centers in Indy. Not only do I live closer to Hancock, I also only live about 2 miles from US 40, which means they can drive me there even faster than they could taking the country roads back to a highway (at least 9 miles from my house) to go to Rushville. Unless I'm mistaken, if you draw a line from 300 W and the county line north to around 600 N and county line west, anyone west or north of that line is closer to Hancock. I'm sure the same is the case for other areas in the county such as the NE near Lewisville or the SW around Moscow. How is it better to delay the treatment of people in that area just so they can go to the "Rush County" hospital??????
I may be wrong, but I've been told RMH ambulance can not transport to anywhere other than RMH if you call 911 for them. If the other departments have to follow their protocols, doesn't it stand to reason that the other departments will have to transport to RMH as well, even if RMH is not closer????
My personal favorite line from this story is the following: "Barnes and fellow commissioners Marvin Cole and Ken Masters said that although they understand such requests, Hancock or another county does not financially support the Carthage medical service but Rush County taxpayers do".... What does the taxpayers supporting the Carthage EMS have to do with it? Are we somehow not getting our monies worth if we don't use RMH? Is my money better spent if I die en route to RMH vs living by going to the closer hospital, Hancock? Makes me wonder what the commissioners really have in mind when they make comments like that. Everyone I've ever spoke to in the medical field says that minutes can make the difference......
And no, I am not on Carthage's fire or EMS, I'm just concerned with mine and my families well being and what's best for them. Anyone else have an opinion?

Typical Rush Commissioners nonsense to justify their giving ALL the EDIT money to Brad and the hospital.
You people really, REALLY need to extract your heads and vote out all THREE commissioners. They are inept and in way over their heads.

"Barnes and fellow commissioners Marvin Cole and Ken Masters said that although they understand such requests, Hancock or another county does not financially support the Carthage medical service but Rush County taxpayers do".

This says it all, perhaps these morons don't understand what laws state.

1. An ambulance has to take you to the "closest appropriate facility". So any car accident that happens in this county that is severe...fly them to Methodist from the scene or drive the ambulance to Methodist from the scene....thats the most appropriate. Not sitting at RMH for 4 hours while they decide what to do with you.

2. The patient does have a choice. In any case in Glenwood, Milroy, Carthage or Manilla areas, they can choose to go to a different county hospital and be there in the same time it would take to get to RMH, or less.

Here is the deal, the county is in the same boat the city of Rushville is in...property tax caps are killing their budgets...how do we keep the money in the county...by lying to the people that pay for those services and bullying them into thinking they HAVE to use RMH and they HAVE to use RMH EMS. It's bullshit scare tactics and greed at it's finest. No incumbent in that courthouse will have my vote.