As Edwardsburg Ambulance Service Administrator Dennis Closson was reviewing and editing the policy and procedure manual he noticed something.

What caught Closson’s eye was that odd duty ambulance personnel were allowed to respond to the scene of an accidents if they were properly equipped.

While that might have been the norm years ago, Closson and the Edwardsburg ambulance board agreed at their most recent meeting that the policy no longer needs to exist.

“It is being removed from the manual only because it’s no longer an issue,” Closson said. “The board and I would rather not have it in the manual, relieving the service of the liability involved.”

The board unanimously voted to remove the policy from the manual.

“Responding to a scene in a personal vehicle is very rare,” Closson said. “When it does happen, it’s typically only by coincidence; such as an off duty employee happens to be driving by.”

Edwardsburg joins the likes of Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service in Niles in discouraging personnel from responding to the scene of an accident in a personal vehicle.

Closson said the change in policy will have no effect on the service.

“The employees don’t even notice a change, because it is nothing noticeable to the daily operations,” he said.

The Edwardsburg Fire and Ambulance Boards meet at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. They meet in February, April, June, August, October and December.