The Newton County Board of Supervisors is seeking answers from its ambulance service provider, CareMed EMS, after receiving numerous complaints from the community.
The county has received complaints pertaining to the untimely manner in which the ambulance arrives to the scene. The company has also transported patients in basic life support ambulances. This type of ambulance differs from an advanced life support (ALS) ambulance because the emergency medical technician transporting patients in this type of ambulance cannot give medicines. They are also not equipped with airway and cardiac devices.
During a regular meeting Monday, Oct. 5, the board asked why the company was not able to have ALS trucks in the county at all times. Due to its contractual agreement with the county, CareMed is required to have three ALS vehicles in Newton County.
Two representatives from CareMed met with the board during the meeting. They said part of the problem is the staffing. A staff member left the county to go work in another part of the state, and one is out on worker’s compensation due to being injured while performing CPR.
The lack of paramedics coupled with the struggle to keep three ALS vehicles in the county at all times has caused issues.
“I know there’s going to be times where keeping three trucks in the county is not possible,” Board member Kenneth Harris said. “And I think we’ve had that with all the ambulance services, but what we would like for you all to do is do the best you can making sure that our people in the county are being covered.”
Stan Alford, operations manager for CareMed, said that because the lack of adequate staffing, “I would rather have a basic truck up and running to take people to the hospital than to not have a truck because we’re down a paramedic.”
Clayton Cooper, CareMed supervisor for Newton County, said that two new employees will possibly be added in the near future; one coming on as full-time and the other as part-time.
CareMed is even offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus, hoping to attract more paramedics to cover Newton County.
