The Allen County Board of Commissioners will be withdrawing from the city-county interlocal agreement that oversees emergency services, removing the county from the cooperative’s operations.
The Three Rivers Ambulance Authority (TRAA) will continue to operate within the City of Fort Wayne, but will no longer respond to calls in other areas of the county.
In a statement released Friday, the commissioners call the original 1981 TRAA arrangement “archaic” and said it “is constantly violated and no longer serves its original purpose.”
Unincorporated areas in Allen County will see no chance in regard to emergency responses, according to the commissioners who said they’ve spoken with each Fire District to ensure there will be no service disruptions.
Mayor Sharon Tucker released a statement following the announcement saying she understands the decision and that commissioners have been open and transparent during conversations. Tucker also said the city is continuing its commitment to working on a sustainable model for emergency services in both the short and long term.
For the past few years, Fort Wayne officials have been trying to solve the problem of sustainable funding for the ambulance service, including what Allen County should contribute to the venture.
In July, commissioners Nelson Peters and Therese Brown recommended terminating the interlocal agreement. At the time, Commissioner Rich Beck disagreed.
