EMS Southwest scaling back ambulance operations in Greene County
Numerous communities searching for new ambulance services
File photo
Numerous municipalities in Greene County are now scrambling to find new ambulance services for their communities after EMS Southwest informed emergency officials last week that it would be scaling back its operation beginning this weekend.
Greene County Emergency Management Director Richard Policz sent a memo to municipal leaders Friday notifying them that EMS Southwest would no longer be taking 911 calls beginning this weekend, meaning each community would have to find a new provider.
While the announcement came as somewhat of a surprise, Policz said he has been working closely with municipal officials explaining to them their options over the past three weeks as it appeared to be imminent that changes would be coming to EMS Southwest. Despite the last-minute announcement, Policz said an ambulance will still be dispatched if needed, although it will likely come from other ambulance services in Greene County or neighboring counties.
“Ambulance services are not ceasing. The (EMS Southwest) ambulance provider is ceasing,” Policz said. “If it’s falling back on mutual aid, then that’s what we’ll have to do. It’s not a Greene County crisis. It’s a crisis across the state and the nation right now.”
Policz said EMS Southwest Inc. President David Dernar informed him last week of the changes to the operation, which would conclude full-time service at 7 a.m. Saturday. After that date, one ambulance unit will remain available on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., but only in a backup capacity.
No explanation was given for the operational changes at EMS Southwest, although Policz indicated the decision was made for financial reasons. A person who answered the phone at EMS Southwest’s operations headquarters in Franklin Township said Dernar was in a meeting Monday morning and unavailable for comment.
With the impending loss of EMS Southwest as an option, Policz said the only ambulance service in Greene County with advanced life support capabilities is through Jefferson Volunteer Fire Company, although there are several other volunteer services with basic life support accreditation available in the eastern part of the county. However, Policz estimates that EMS Southwest provided ambulance services to more than half of Greene County’s municipalities, including the vast majority of the western part of the county.
According to Act 69 of 1933, local municipalities are “responsible for ensuring that fire and emergency medical services are provided” within its boundaries, so those decisions must be made by the local government bodies.
“We’ve been talking about this – this isn’t just recent, it started last year – with the municipal leaders,” Policz said, including a meeting with them last Monday when changes appeared to be on the horizon. “It has definitely sped up the process. But for the most part, the municipal leaders are working very hard on this.”
Center Township Supervisor Harry Gillispie said his municipality is currently reviewing several options about how to provide ambulance services, and the supervisors expect to make a decision this week with Saturday morning’s deadline fast approaching.
“We have different options, and right now we don’t know which option we’re going to go with. It’s something we’ll have to decide,” Gillispie said. “We knew something was going on, but not how dire it was until we received (Policz’s) letter last week.”
Policz said that Washington County Ambulance & Chair and Fayette EMS might be brought into the mix, just as some services in West Virginia have been used in the past to help the remote areas of southwestern Greene County. He added that five or six townships in the western part of the county are “looking to do this as a group,” although he did not identify which ones were working together or what that agreement might be.
“I will tell you, the western half is working very hard right now,” Policz said.
Both Gillispie and Policz asked residents to remain calm and know that an ambulance will come if requested.
“People shouldn’t panic,” Gillispie said. “There will still be an ambulance coming if there’s an emergency. We might not know where it’s coming from, but one will be coming.”