Quick Response Vehicle Giving Initial Medical Aide In Greene County
There is disagreement in semantics over the response capabilites of Greene County Emergency Medical Services. A Facebook postfrom the agency over the weekend stated a Quick Response Vehicle would replace current ambulance services. The QRV would respond to calls to provide initial life support awaiting a mutual aid ambulance from a surrounding county to transport the patient to a hospital.
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Operations Manager Bradley Greene said none of the services ambulances are operational and they do not have the funding to fix them.
Official statement: “Effective immediately, Greene County Emergency Medical Services (GCEMS) has been forced to temporarily cease all operational services.This difficult decision was reached solely due to a critical lack of funding, which has made it impossible to maintain our ambulances and equipment to mandatory state compliance and safety standards.Operating units below these legal standards compromises both patient care and provider safety—a risk GCEMS cannot and will not take.As of this moment, Greene County is uncovered by local GCEMS units.Mutual aid from surrounding areas has been notified, but citizens should expect significantly delayed response times for medical emergencies due to the travel distances required for outside agencies to reach our communities.
A message from GCEMS management stated, "Our administrative team is working desperately around the clock to find an immediate resolution and secure the necessary resources to get our trucks back on the road."
However, a permanent return to service is completely impossible without a sustainable, adequate funding structure.We are deeply committed to the citizens we serve, but we cannot run a state-compliant, life-saving service without the baseline financial resources required to do so. We urge our local leaders and community stakeholders to join us in finding an immediate solution to restore this vital public safety lifeline.For immediate life-threatening emergencies, please continue to dial 911, but remain aware of the current strain on area resources.
But it an interview with CBS 42, the vice chair of the Greene County EMS Board, Loretta Wilson, said the post was unauthorized and contains misinformation. "That statement is unauthorized and never should have been put out,” Wilson said. “Greene County ambulance services have not been suspended. The truck, it was grounded. We have another truck that is able to assist doing any calls until mutual aid arrives, and that is the truth."
Technically both sides are correct. A Sunday post by GCEMS announced the QRV has been placed into service, so there is an initial response to provide life support until the mutual aid ambulance arrives. The proble is the outside the county ambulance could take 40 minuties or more depending on where it is coming from and what part of Greene County it is responding to.
Like many rural ambulance services in Alabama, GCEMS has struggled with financial issues for sometime due to inadaquate insurance and Medicare reimbursements. A law rectifying the issue was passed during this year's legislative session but does not become effective until October 1st.
Greene County residents are advised to continue to call 9-1-1 for medical emergencies.
This is an ongoing situation that Tuscaloosa Thread will continue to update as circumstances distate.
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