NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- The Floyd County commissioners unanimously voted to request proposals for a new ambulance service on Tuesday night.

While Commissioner Jason Sharp said the process to seek a new provider began "several months ago," the county's current provider, New Chapel EMS, has been in the spotlight lately. The agency's CEO, Jamey Noel, was arrested in November on 15 felony charges of theft, fraud, ghost employment and corruption.

"Obviously, when everything started to unfold with New Chapel, there was a lot of questions about what could happen to our emergency services," Sharp said Tuesday.

Noel's charges stem from a nearly yearlong investigation by Noel's successor, Sheriff Scottie Maples and Indiana State Police. State investigators served multiple search warrants at Noel's properties last month, seizing dozens of vehicles that were registered through the Utica Fire Department and New Chapel EMS, including a Charger Hellcat, Escalades and a Corvette Stingray. Noel is the chief and CEO of New Chapel Fire and EMS.

"Any type of allegations of that caliber are concerning," Sharp said. "But he has a legal team to represent him. The state's doing their portion."

Larry Wilder and Jamey Noel

Jamey Noel, right, stands with his attorney, Larry Wilder, during his initial court hearing a day after being arrested on 15 felony charges. Nov. 9, 2023. (WDRB Photo)

New Chapel Fire and EMS provides services across Clark and Floyd counties. And on top of Noel's legal issues, the death of Clarksville Town Council member David "Red" Worrall on Election Day reignited the conversations. Clarksville Town Manager Kevin Baity said, until recently, response times have been OK. For the last three years, New Chapel EMS has provided ambulance services for Clarksville, but Worrall's death is another step in the process leading to a change.

"Right now, the response time that they had the day of the election was unacceptable," Baity said last month.

Town Councilman Mike Mustain, D-4, said even if Clarksville had its own ambulance service, it may not have changed what happened on Election Day. But it could have provided a faster response.

Sharp, a first responder himself, wants to see better ambulance coverage across Floyd County.

"We're looking for three ambulances and a paramedic response car," he said Tuesday. "And we're looking for them to be deployed countywide just a little bit more efficiently."

Sharp said the overall goal is to improve response times across the entire county — particularly in rural areas — and get people the care they need in less than 10 minutes.

"Something I'd like to see out of whoever our next provider is going to be is utilizing some better technology to make sure that these units are responding to scenes just a little bit quicker," he said.

Any change would not impact the city of New Albany, as it contracts its ambulance service through AmeriPro.

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