It has been almost a month since Wayne County launched its first county ambulance service to alleviate response time issues that had been affecting the county for years. It launched in late June, putting two ambulances on the road in Prichard and Genoa.
While owned by the county, the service is being managed by HealthNet Aeromedical Services. President and CEO Clinton Burley said that so far, things are running smoothly with Wayne EMS. โOperations are going very well. The EMTs and paramedics are averaging over nine requests for service each day countywide,” he said. “Weโre seeing an impact on our neighbors from having these ambulances available to supplement our existing volunteer fire departments. Itโs a true team effort.โ
Before this launch, the county relied only on volunteer fire service. Ceredo Volunteer Fire Chief Robbie Robson said the new county ambulances allow them to keep their people closer to home and improve their response times. โThe toll it was taking on our people – you can see a relief in those people now because itโs not coming to work and thinking, ‘Man, Iโm going to have to drive an hour-and-a-half just to get to somebody,’ because thereโs help closer to those people now,” Robson said.
Burley said they are good with staffing levels right now, but they are encouraged that interest keeps coming in. The county ambulances do not do nonemergency transport service. Burley said they only respond to emergencies.
