Staff writer
Ed Debesis was announced as the new Marion County EMS director during Monday’s county commission meeting.
Debesis, who has been serving as interim EMS director and will begin his new position March 28, had experience in a similar position when he was EMS director for Mitchell County EMS from 2008 to 2014.
Randy Dallke welcomed Debesis to the county.
“We’re looking forward to a new leaf in life and turning a new page over,” chairman Randy Dallke said. “Welcome aboard.”
In a phone interview Tuesday, commissioner Dan Holub said that he was happy that Debesis accepted the position.
“This had a happy ending compared to what it could have been,” Holub said. “He’s got his work cut out for him. We’re doing a lot of stuff here and we’re doing it with a volunteer force and we’re the only ones. We are making it work, but times are changing unfortunately, so we’re not out of the hot water yet.”
EMS consultant Terry David was also at the meeting on Monday, and congratulated the commission on their new employee.
“I commend you on the decision you made early on about having an interim,” David said. “It certainly gave Ed an opportunity to prove himself and it gave you an opportunity to take a look at him and see if he was going to be the guy that was a good fit. I think very few places do that.”
David, who was hired by commissioners as a consultant for the EMS service, finished his project and presented his recommendation report with the commissioners on his last day as consultant.
David discussed his report with commissioners, including his opinion on how to change the way EMS volunteers work.
“I think the two-dollars-an-hour call thing is OK,” David said. “I think you pay too many people to be on call. I would recommend you break it down into a flat stipend pay like you do with firefighters.”
Commissioners will read David’s report and discuss it at a later date.