Details behind the South Beloit contract with Metro Paramedic Services

In a move to bolster public safety, the City of South Beloit has officially entered into a multimillion-dollar public-private partnership for emergency services. On January 20, 2026, the City Council passed Resolution 6670, approving a comprehensive staffing agreement with Metro Paramedic Services, Inc.

The 3-year contract, valued at $1,419,660 for the first year, aims to address the city's critical need for consistent firefighting and emergency medical personnel.

The partnership is set for an initial three-year term, scheduled to begin on March 1, 2026, and run through February 28, 2029. Under the deal, Metro Paramedic Services will provide a dedicated team of professionals to the city, including:

• One full-time Fire Chief.
• Three full-time Firefighter Paramedics.
• Three full-time Firefighter EMTs.
• Three full-time Firefighters.

The agreement specifies that these personnel will be on permanent assignment to South Beloit and will not be shared with other Metro Paramedic Services clients except as paid on call or volunteer members. Firefighters and medical staff will work regular 24-hour shifts, while the Fire Chief will maintain a standard Monday-through-Friday schedule. Any staff requested to work hours beyond their 24 hour shift would be compensated at the rate of $43.58 per hour.

The contract stipulates that all Metro staff must be qualified to drive and operate an ambulance and other fire equipment.

Metro Paramedic Services would pay for the bulk of insurance costs associated with running the department, including worker's compensation, professional liability, and general liability insurance. Both the city and Metro will carry policies for automobile insurance while Metro staff are operating city vehicles.

Equipment and Responsibility

While Metro Paramedic Services provides the personnel, the City of South Beloit remains responsible for providing all necessary infrastructure. This includes ambulance vehicles, firefighting apparatus, radio communication devices, and personal protective equipment, such as bunker gear.

The contract also includes a provision for a reserve ambulance provided by the contractor for an additional fee of $1,000 per month in the event of equipment breakdowns.

Safety and Standards

To ensure high standards of care, the agreement requires that all assigned paramedics and EMTs maintain State of Illinois certifications and remain in good standing with the city’s designated EMS system. Firefighters are generally required to be certified by the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal to at least the level of Basic Operations Firefighter.

The resolution passed with "Aye" votes from Council members Hedrington, Morse, Prentice, and Fitzgerald. Council member Adleman was absent from the vote.

City officials indicated that this partnership is a strategic step to maintain public safety while managing the complexities of emergency service staffing.

In speaking with Tom Deegan, client liason with Metro Paramedic Services, Tom shared that the city of South Beloit had been working with Metro for almost a year to arrange this contract.

Moreover, Mr. Deegan and Ms. Sonya Hoppes, administrator for the City of South Beloit, addressed a common question among attendees at South Beloit Concerned Citizens Meeting: what would it take to have volunteer, paid on call community members serve on their local fire department. Mr. Deegan and Ms. Hoppes highlighted via email that "Metro Paramedics and the City both believe that both volunteer and paid-on-call staff need to be added to the department to supplement the staffing provided by Metro Paramedics. Once a Fire Chief has been hired and begins work, a transition plan will be established that brings Fire and EMS service to South Beloit. This transition plan will include the volunteer and paid-on-call service. Interested parties will be invited to apply within the next 90 days."