Emergency Management Director Robbie Richardson gave the Newton County Board of Supervisors an update on setting up a coronavirus vaccination site and working with Jasper County to dispatch CareMed EMS.
They recently received their CARES Act funding. The board will soon decide what the money will be allocated toward.
Richardson also discussed the pop-up vaccination sites that will be set up. These sites will be set up across the county and you will be able to drive through and receive a coronavirus vaccination. Due to the slow process of obtaining the vaccinations, Richardson said that they are still working to establish a game plan for the vaccination sites.
A “collaboration” with Jasper County might be in the near future for Newton County. Fire Department Coordinator Brian Taylor spoke to the board about possibly dispatching for Jasper County.
If the board votes to approve it, 911 dispatchers in Newton County will be taking on the Jasper County’s dispatching, but only for EMS service. They will work in conjunction with CareMed, who will be taking on the startup costs for this venture. Taylor said that Jasper County only has around four calls a day related to the need for EMS service. He went on to say that due to this low number of calls, Newton County will benefit from taking on the added calls. Jasper County will pay $3,000 for the first year, and then $4.50 for every call after that.
If the board approves this at their next meeting on Feb. 1, then it will begin on March 1, 2021.
