Winder may get daytime ambulance

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Tuesday, November 22. 2011

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Barrow County and Winder officials began meeting this week to work out an economical way for Barrow County Emergency Services to relocate an ambulance downtown – at least during the day.

BCES Chief Dennis Merrifield told the Barrow Journal on Monday that he and other county officials planned to meet Tuesday afternoon with city representatives at the Winder Community Center.

He said the county would offer to provide an equipped and staffed ambulance inside the city limits from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. every day.

For the full story, see the Nov. 23 issue of the Barrow Journal.

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#1 Anonymous on 11/22/11 at 05:06 PM [Reply]

Well that's great. Maynard is not even in office yet and the Winder citizens are already getting a ambulance. Chip never gave a rats behind if Winder had a ambulance or not.

#1.1 Anonymous on 11/22/11 at 08:05 PM [Reply]

Winder has always had an ambulance. In fact they have 6. The only thing this is going to do is remove an ambulance from a county zone and increase the response time to someone else. Winder fire department has EMT'S on a first response rescue truck now. Medical care is given by them, transport arrives shortly afterwards.

#1.1.1 Anonymous on 11/22/11 at 09:14 PM [Reply]

Agreed...Winder has had full time county paid ambulances since 1973. Before that, Wise Funeral Home and Kelly Funeral Home provided the ambulance service. They may have been moved around a few time but never more than a couple of minutes from downtown.

The county areas are the ones who have had to wait for an ambulance to arrive...sometimes 20-30 minutes.

#2 Citizen on 11/23/11 at 12:19 AM [Reply]

Thank you David. This is good news. Now just work to get us 24 hour service. Who knows? Someone may need a ambulance after 8pm. It would be bad to wait for a ambulance to come from 8 miles away.

#3 J.B. Moore on 11/23/11 at 08:37 AM [Reply]

Here we go doing nothing but walking around the obvious wasteful problem. We have an imaginary line that surrounds the city and now we have to have a med unit inside that line. The article does not say, but if that takes a med unit out of service from the unincorporated areas then that is ridiculous. If the city wants a bus I suggest they call rural metro sign a contract or buy themselves one. My issue is that no one gave a rip about me when my station was temporarily placed downtown, was the city going to come out here since they were a little closer? No. So barrow journal could you please give more detail on the agreements when available. Thanks

#3.1 Anonymous on 11/23/11 at 06:56 PM [Reply]

I'll bet you that the same ambulance that was moved into the city and out of your area will be the same one to get pulled into the city this time. Barrow County has no need for 7 ambulance so additional or new units is not an option. Not cost effective. Ambulances were moved out of the city several years ago with the idea that several units could cover the city with faster times responding into the city than units trying to get out of the city to the other areas of the county.

#3.1.1 otherMedic on 11/27/11 at 01:55 PM [Reply]

True, it is more than just adding an ambulance to fix this problem. I refer to another newspaper BCN comment on this issue:

OldProspector:
November 27, 2011
2:50 p.m.
When that med unit is on a call, you are back where you started. The way to keep more Med units available for severe emergencies is to 'Triage' the calls based on severity, and only respond a Med unit to 'non life threatening' calls if there are a minimum # of Med units in the county, including a Winder 12 hr day truck. A 'fever with diarrhea' may wait 30 minutes until Med unit levels are at least 3 available, leaving 2 for bad calls. There is not a lot of structure in the assigning of calls based on severity. In Atlanta, Grady EMS dispatches their own calls, they 'hold' non-urgent calls as described above, so as not to drain the city of Med units. Winder has the majority of the calls, which in turn has the majority of call abuse. So this New Med unit will be busy. A more structured response plan is needed to fix this problem with the ambulances.

#3.1.1.1 concerned on 11/29/11 at 03:19 PM [Reply]

So you think that a dispatcher who is not present at the scene is qualified to triage?? I don't think so, and just because someone is have abdominal pain and vomiting doesn't meam that they do not have an emergency situation. I for on do think that a med unit is needed in the city. I hope the officials can come to some kind of agreement or maybe the city of Winder can just purchase one and hire more folks to man it.

#3.1.1.1.1 yeah on 11/29/11 at 03:23 PM [Reply]

new ambulance 200k or so, two men to staff it x 3 shift 180k, taxpayers tax bills PRICELESS

#4 Jack Legg on 11/23/11 at 08:30 PM [Reply]

Im pretty sure we do need 7 ambulances, there are times when they are all out of service and out of the county on calls.The current method is better for all with the units out in the county, they can get into the city faster than they can move about the city if they are stationed inside the city.This also allows them to cover the areas with the most population.One thing is certain: politicians dont know anything about the emergency service, and mostly they dont car except when they can lie and steal some votes by using the fire department.

#4.1 Paramedic on 11/23/11 at 10:14 PM [Reply]

Jack do you really believe that a ambulance can get to the intersection of May and Broad faster from County Line FD over 7 miles away. Than it can from the Winder FD 3 blocks away? You are showing just how ignorant you really are.

#4.1.1 Jack Legg on 11/24/11 at 07:53 AM [Reply]

is there a train coming in your scenario dumbo?Countyline FD is no more than 5 miles out and the point is from where they are now they can reach the I-85 area and downtown winder in about the same amount of time, besides there probably wont be an ambulance at Winder station 1, theres just not enough room there for the truck and crew.This is all because someone got ran over a few weeks ago down town and the med unit had to come in from station 5 . Wasnt there some EMTs on scene from winder fire anyway? all the med unit did was tote the victem to the hospital , a basic unit could have done that.

#5 we should on 11/24/11 at 02:54 AM [Reply]

just buy a hundred that way we have plenty of employed EMT workers, no excuses why it takes more then five minutes, oh and then we get more mechanics and medical instruments sales people, I think this is great. lets see how many lights can the biggest ambulance hold to be seen clearly from the Moon, cause it is goona be like MASA if this keeps up. STOP spending, turn the service over to the Hospitals not Goverment!!!!!!

#5.1 really on 11/24/11 at 08:29 AM [Reply]

Hospitals don't want to run EMS services, see Athens Regional and St. Marys for examples of hospitals who wanted out.
Private ambulances could be a good idea, but will the taxpayer be willing to pay a subsidy, probably in the neighborhood of a few million dollars? You see, they don't do it for free. They charge the county to provide a service. Then they also bill patienThe ts. This is how they make money. Also, the County will have no say in where, or how many, ambulances there are.
The best thing to do is add a 7th unit. Then, you are not depriving one part of the County just to put one in Winder.

#5.1.1 otherMedic on 11/24/11 at 09:46 AM [Reply]

The best thing to do would be to outsource the EMS to a private contracted service totally. The subsidy wouldn't be close to one million dollars, the cities that make up North Fulton County put up 1.5 million to Rural Metro and that is for 6 day trucks and 4 night trucks with a 5 to 6 times the population of Barrow County. Working for BCFES before I know that the city of Winder has by far the most amount of calls which all the stations respond to. Putting a 'peak hour' truck during the day is exactly what is needed. A 24 hour truck stationed down there would be working the 2 EMS solid for that 24 hrs, and with the +/- 30 minute transports the driver would fall asleep at the wheel and wreck; so it would have to be a 12 hour truck. Lets not forget the Winder Fire Department is 'Separate' from Barrow Fire. The Winder Fire Department should take ownership of their zone and fund 2 ambulances for the city and make them 24 hr trucks. Barrow County is going Broke anyway and can't keep Fire Engines rolling straight; either an axel falls off or a fireman drives one into a concrete yellow pole at the Holly Hill Mall parking lot. Ultimately, either the county should subsidize EMS all together or WFD should staff 2 Winder Fire Med units. The city of Winder has the resources.

#5.1.1.1 Anonymous on 11/24/11 at 12:27 PM [Reply]

The best thing is not to out source the ambulances to a private. If this is done you loose half of the fireservice employees. The fire department is under staffed now you all complained a few months back about having. A med unit and two fire engines on a house fire and only having 6 people, this would now make 4 people. You better buy more insurance because 4 people can't put out a house fire. There would be plenty of ambulances for the call volume if people did not call an ambulance for every cold or flu just so they can get seen quicker at the hospital. It does not work that way. If you do not have a true emergency you will be unloaded from the back of the ambulance and wheeled right up front to wait in the waiting room, the same one that you would be in if you drove yourself. Then on top of that people want to be transported out of county sometimes driving right past the hospital in town. Yes there are some things that require another different hospital but most of the time the patients using the ambulance do not require pre hospital treatment or ambulance transport. Figure out how to stop these abusive uses of the services and you will nearly always have an ambulance when a real emergency occurs.

#5.1.1.1.1 Good on 11/24/11 at 02:46 PM [Reply]

How about we do outsource and go to voluteer fire dept. yes if people start getting billed by private service that would be nice!!! quit wasting our tax monies!!! and yes just as I am unfortunatly required to carry auto insurance I do not grieve when one chooses to have less coverage for thier home or business then is needed, I do not even care if someone hits me and is uninsured because I am insured, I do not care what others do I take responsibility for me and my stuff, I say less Govt and less GOVT employees!!!!!! yes less less lesss

#5.1.1.1.1.1 Anonymous on 11/24/11 at 03:06 PM [Reply]

People and there insurance companies are billed for services received by the county ambulance now. Just because the service is owned and operated by the county government dose not meen that it is free. Emergency services are not a waste of you tax.dollars.

#5.1.1.1.1.1.1 are you kidding on 11/24/11 at 03:11 PM [Reply]

house fire stopped insurance company never or rarely pays a dime!!!! who are you kidding insurance company pays diddly squat, only in Auto when someone is at fault otherwise payment from insurance company is like waiting for th next fella to walk on water, they should but they do not pay!

#5.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Anonymous on 11/24/11 at 03:20 PM [Reply]

I said services for the ambulance, not fire response. Who are you kidding, read the post first next time. The poster before me said a private could bill for services, I said that the county already bill.

#5.1.1.2 Anonymous on 11/24/11 at 02:09 PM [Reply]

DD you left to work at Rural Metro. You were not here that long. I don't think you are the best qualified to tell anyone what would work best. You said Fulton payes 1.5 million for 6 day trucks and 4 night trucks. That's 4 - 24 hour and 2 day trucks. We now have 6 - 24 hour trucks and you want another 12 hour truck. How do you think it would cost less than a million for more trucks than Fulton gets for 1.5 million.

#5.1.1.2.1 otherMedic on 11/27/11 at 09:39 AM [Reply]

Well, I worked at Barrow Fire for 18 months and through 3 Fire Cheifs. I have also worked EMS in Dekalb , South Fulton, Sandy Springs, and North Fulton; including being a direct Operations Supervisor for a private ambulance Company which had a 911 contract with Dekalb Co. Barrow County has only been a paid Fire Service since 2002. I do know that it is still in its infancy. Since i'm called out, who's this? Besides Im just trying to be part of the solution, since the current structure is NOT working. Also you cannot control who calls 911 and what for, or where they want to go; its the nature of the business. A private service would probably hire any, if at all, displace Fire/EMS County workers. If they didnt want to work soley on an Med unit, there are other Fire Services hiring. Johns Creek Fire is the highest paying department in the state; they are interviewing PT FFs to move into FT slots. I left Barrow and went to Rural Metro because Barrow County was talking about cutting staff: I had already One year with them, and still not trained as a FireFighter as required by the hiring contract so I would be on the top list as Paramedic #1 to be LAID OFF, and thats why I left BCES. Different contract in Fulton / different contract in Barrow. Barrow could offer less is all. Dekalb County pays ZERO subsidy, Rural Metro makes its $ from billing. Barrow County Fire is not a seasoned historic department, It was too unsteady of a job for me.

#5.1.1.2.1.1 being on 11/27/11 at 11:15 AM [Reply]

a firefighter isnt supposed to be a job, it is a vocation that people have turned into way to get paid!!! I miss FIREFIGHTERS that are CALLED to serve tired of all these that are there to have kind of easy job for higher than average pay and bennies!

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1 Anonymous on 11/28/11 at 02:07 PM [Reply]

So, is your doctor to do his job for free as well. It too is a calling but you still pay that co pay do you not. Am I and my brother and sister firefighter suppost to just call our mortgage companies and utilities and say Hey I'm a firefighter I don't get payed to spend over one third of my life away from my family. Sit at a fire station on Christmas while my child opens gifts without me. So I don't have money to pay my bills, but hey I'm a firefighter its a calling.

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.1 boo on 11/28/11 at 02:19 PM [Reply]

who, one third my eye you sit around lift weight bullcrap and family stops by to visit, not like the guy running the checkout at walmart who really is away one third trying to pay his bills or the single mother slaving as a CNA or thr nurse working more then one third not just sitting around when there isnt a fire it isnt that hard being a fire fighter!!!!!

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1 Anonymous on 11/28/11 at 08:43 PM [Reply]

Come try it for a few days. We also work on the ambulance. How many mothers have you had to turn to and say I'm sorry but your child is dead and there is nothing that I can do for him. You must have never truly need our service if this is what you think. I can show you hundreds if not thousands of people who when the worst thing is happening in there lives are very happy that we were here " sitting around lifting weights" so that we could respond in the time of need to take care of a situation that they could not even begin to handle. I hope that you never need the services of our department but if you do we will be here to take care of your situation in a trained professional manner. It's not always the amount of work you get from someone but rather that persons skills, knowledge, training and the plain old not everyone can handle this job that we bring to the table. I'm sorry you are misinformed about what we do and what we are. As I said if that worst day happens call, we will come to handle it.

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1 yes on 11/29/11 at 06:00 AM [Reply]

I was with Wexford county and no never had to tell anyone that thier loved one died, some do but this is rare as far as children go so do not tell me I do not know about being a fireman, I know about working forty and sixty hours AND doing a FIREMANS job, EMT so do not complain that it is hard and under paid, it pays more and deals with notification of loved one dying less yes less then other VOCATIONS, the lady who takes care of the people at the nursing home or hospice regularly has to deal with becoming friends with people who do die and she or he has the first contact with the familys so do not say I do not understand how it is.

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Jack Legg on 11/29/11 at 08:52 AM [Reply]

wexfors county? where is that at? It aint in Georgis so it dont really matter where its at.

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.2 by on 11/28/11 at 02:29 PM [Reply]

the way my doctor charges 45 per visit so it is reasonable, if he isnt working he isnt getting paid by anyone, he went to scholl for twenty plus years, he took out a loan he makes only around 100k or less he pays for his own medical and dental coverage he doesnt get EIC or big breaks he employs like eight people! his nurse makes less then you firefighters and went to school on a loan so do not claim your job deserves more pay then a DR or Nurse!!!!

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.2.1 lol on 11/28/11 at 03:07 PM [Reply]

if you know a nurse who works full time and makes less the 31k, what a new firefighter makes, she or he is an idiot. my wife is a new nurse and right out of school with 0 expierence makes 5O working med surg.

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.2.1.1 family on 11/28/11 at 03:17 PM [Reply]

practice nurse, and yes Doctors are starting to work for free, I cn give you names of many that have and do, three in Hall County, why because it is a calling, and yes there are nurses make 12 an hour family practice there mr greedy!

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1 lol on 11/29/11 at 08:41 PM [Reply]

A CNA or a MA are not registered Nurses (RN). I think you are confused about what you are seeing at the drs office. Just cause they wear scrubs does not make someone a nurse...

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1 I am on 11/30/11 at 08:22 AM [Reply]

not confused and go look in the paper and the GDOL and see yes some nurses get paid more, right now with doctors hurting they are not hiring there used to be tons of help wanted for nurses now I found three in Barrow jackson hall and athens clarke county, so I guess you should be grateful you getting paid more then the nurses looking now. so you guys should quit crying your underpaid!

#5.1.1.2.1.1.1.2.1.2 jolly on 11/28/11 at 03:29 PM [Reply]

go look and oay start for nurses with two years experience at ten dollars an hour, so you think a new fire fighter should get paid what a degree holding person gets with two years experience! wow you really think highly of yourself, the job isnt that hard, lot of full time fire fighter work a second full time job that is how easy it is!!!

#5.1.1.2.2 otherMedic on 11/27/11 at 02:12 PM [Reply]

"DD you left to work at Rural Metro. You were not here that long. I don't think you are the best qualified to tell anyone what would work best."

- I was there 20 months, thats almost 2 years of service. What qualifications would be needed to tell "anyone" what would work best? That is a insulting remark. I "left to work at Rural Metro", what is your point there? I'm not in the 'click' now? Everyone that works there complains but doesn't do anything. My comment below shows I am seasoned in multiple settings of EMS. Please clarify or apologize, because only to say that I left BCES, doesn't back your claim why you think I'm not "qualified to tell anyone what works best". Its easy to type something, but really think about what your saying as if you're saying it to me. Also "anyone" is pretty broad. Does a 5 year kid fall in that crowd? Or half the Rookies who 'slide' through the cracks and get hired?... :)

#5.1.1.3 there on 11/25/11 at 09:37 AM [Reply]

is hospital right here in town very simple do not take patients out of county or out of town take them like big cities do to the closest hospital not where they want to go!

#5.1.1.3.1 really? on 11/25/11 at 09:45 AM [Reply]

My dr. is in Athens. I go to where he is and where my insurance dictates. It still does not change the fact I got to Athens in less time than it took to receive emergency attention because there was not one inside city.

#5.1.1.3.1.1 EMGENCY on 11/25/11 at 10:59 AM [Reply]

means closest Hospital not where your insurance is!!!!

#5.1.1.3.2 Ummmm on 11/25/11 at 08:59 PM [Reply]

You might wanna review the state codes and contact you elected rep if you wanna try to get it changed.

#5.1.1.4 Anonymous on 11/27/11 at 08:23 PM [Reply]

Where do you get your figures from? Sandy Springs pays $450,000 themselves. Rural Metros contract for North Fulton is for more than 1.5 million.

#5.1.1.4.1 why privatize on 11/28/11 at 07:34 AM [Reply]

This type of deployment plan has assisted in drastically reducing ambulance response times, and more specifically, assist Rural/Metro with maintaining their contractually obligated response times of eight minutes to life threatening emergency and 15 minutes to non-emergency requests, 90 percent of the time in any given month.

The subsidization provided to Rural/Metro by Sandy Springs through this contract is $450,000 annually with certain provisions for City-assessed penalties for non-compliance with performance requirements

SO IF THEY FAIL THEY GET LESS MONEY!!!!

#5.1.1.4.1.1 lol on 11/28/11 at 07:55 AM [Reply]

lets talk about money and what happens when the private does collect what it prjects, since rural metro is the talk here lets talk about it. south fulton county comes to mind, they are pulling out, money not there. what does barrow and soth fulton have in common, you figure it out. now lets talk dekalb, the talk is they want a stipend for a new contract which the county does not want to pay, and they want to charge more than dekalb currently charges for transport, which i agree is way low. but back to dekalb, what does barrow and dekalb have in common? in case you are not sure i will fill you in, they are mostly low income medicaid patients. not to knock that, but the payments are capped. the only way to make money would be to reduce overhead. which in dollars and cents is fewer trucks...

#5.1.1.4.1.1.1 a contract on 11/28/11 at 10:04 AM [Reply]

will keep them they may wish for more but so do the Govt run ones and the Govt run ones keep wanting wasting and taking

#5.1.2 best on 11/24/11 at 10:09 AM [Reply]

thing is to not add more hold the line on spending. is there a difference between spending if your a spender our a spender, if your conservative you have to not spend spend spend.

#6 Winder Resident and County Tax Payer on 11/24/11 at 03:05 PM [Reply]

Excuse me those of you that are saying Winder needs to get there own ambulances! I pay the same Barrow County taxes that the people living out in the county pay for Fire and Ambulances. If my tax dollars are already paying for the service why should I be taxed again? Maybe Winder residents county tax dollars need to be redirected back to Winder if they are expected to duplicate this service inside Winders limits. In my opinion the City of Winder should not be spending a dime to fund what we already pay for. How many years did we go with all ambulances in Winder and none out in the county?

#6.1 Anonymous on 11/24/11 at 03:11 PM [Reply]

The answer is Way too many!!!!

#6.2 Jack Legg on 11/24/11 at 05:42 PM [Reply]

You do NOT pay the same taxes if you live inside the winder city limits that I do out in the country.The city of winder does NOT pay the fire tax, they get a free ride and the county kicks in some money for the winder fire dept. ... unless somethings changed.

#6.2.1 Anonymous on 11/24/11 at 06:46 PM [Reply]

Jack Barrow County does not have a dedicated fire tax. Mitch helped get rid of that a long time ago. Your tax dollars go into general funds nothing is dedicated to the fire department unless the BOC allows it in the budget each year.

#6.2.2 Winder Resident and County Tax Payer on 11/24/11 at 08:30 PM [Reply]

Jack Legg, once again you prove that you are an idiot! My taxes are equal to yours if you are out in the county! I do pay a FIRE TAX that goes to Winder! I believe the county Fire Tax was done away with under Mr. Kitchens/Garrison's era (ERROR I MEAN). Another screwed up decision around here by the Good Ole Boys!

#6.2.2.1 Jack Legg on 11/24/11 at 11:27 PM [Reply]

Im pretty surethat there is a place on my tax bill makred as "fire tax".I dont know where its at though because I wont be paying it until some time next year after yearwood has paid his.

#6.2.2.1.1 Anonymous on 11/25/11 at 07:36 AM [Reply]

Well Jack your wrong.
If you are in the county your tax bill has not had a place for fire tax after your 2005 bill. Go to barrowga.org, select departments, tax commission, go down on lower left side of page and select pay my tax bill. Then enter your real name and you can view all of you past and present tax bills. For any bill after 2005 you will see that fire tax is not on it. Now if your in the city you can do the same and you will find a fire tax labeled Winder fire tax. In Barrow you get storm water and street lights.

#7 great on 11/24/11 at 03:09 PM [Reply]

sound good I dont think that Winder needs its own EMS I think the county does fine job I say get rid of Winder FD and EMS use the county

#7.1 Retired Firefighter on 11/24/11 at 05:50 PM [Reply]

Let's get this correct, you want to get rid a 100+ year old very stable fire department and turn it over to a department that is just over 10 years old and has absolutely NO stability! If I understand Winder Fire Departments history they have had 7 or 8 Fire Chiefs in their long history, and Barrow has been through that many in its short tenure! Sorry just doesn't make since to me.

I personally think EMS should be privatized across the whole county and Barow and Winder officials need focus on bettering the Fire Service. The day the department I retired from combined Fire and EMS was the day we started going backwards.

#7.1.1 Anonymous on 11/24/11 at 07:56 PM [Reply]

I agree. That would be like turning a bull loose in a china shop.

#7.2 Bill on 11/24/11 at 11:45 PM [Reply]

Now I could see Winder taking over the fire service for the whole county. But not the other way around. Years ago Winder handled all of Barrow County and did a much better job than the county is doing now.

#7.2.1 Anonymous on 11/25/11 at 07:14 AM [Reply]

No one needs to take over anything. Winder has the city and Barrow County has the county. Each department does a good job, no need to change.

#8 ok on 11/25/11 at 04:07 AM [Reply]

that sounds great I agree let Winder handle the county EMS and fire

#8.1 Anonymous on 11/25/11 at 11:55 AM [Reply]

Winder does not hold the state license to have an ambulanve service. They don't own any ambulances and they don't employee enough people or people with the correct certifications and experience to even run an ambulance service. So if this sounds good to you, you have no idea what your talking about. Let the people with the experience and knowledge run both of these departments. It's not something that the average citizen is educated about. You don't tell the power company how to run high voltage line or the water department what size main to run to handle demand on your street. You just sign up for the service, use the service and pay for the service. Only in government do people think that they are an expert in everything and can do or run everything better and cheaper.

#8.1.1 how on 11/25/11 at 01:05 PM [Reply]

about we privatize the service! quit driving folks to hospital of choice when we have hospital right here in WINDER, the one on the right as you come from BRASELTON, yes thats a HOSPITAL!!!!!!!

#8.1.1.1 HA on 11/26/11 at 06:41 AM [Reply]

wHEN MY INSURANCE is paying and I am paying I will go to whatever facility I chose. My doctors are all out of town. Why would I want to go here?

#8.1.1.1.1 move on 11/26/11 at 07:54 AM [Reply]

to
ATHENS then or pay for medicar service!!!

#8.1.1.1.1.1 ha ha on 11/26/11 at 08:19 AM [Reply]

ha You can not dictate

#8.1.1.1.2 grimqzuh on 11/29/11 at 08:50 AM [Reply]

CtIIfv ulbnrzwtxruk

#8.1.1.2 you on 11/26/11 at 08:23 AM [Reply]

You feel free to go there at anytime. I choose not to because all of my doctors are not in town and my insurance does not work here.

#9 back up on 11/25/11 at 09:00 AM [Reply]

8 years ago I began to have what we thought was a severe headache and after several hours it progressed into a serious life threatening situation. We did not know that at the time as my husband had called our doctor and told him to take me to St. Mary's. When we reached Midland Avenue in front of Russell Middle School my condition worsened. My husband stopped the car and dialed 911. Due to our location an ambulance was dispatched from Holsenbeck Fire. Now I was having a stroke and time meant life or death to me. I got to Athens in LESS TIME THAN IT TOOK FOR THE AMBULANCE TO GET TO ME. Don'ttell me that Winder does not need full time service.

#9.1 Jack Legg on 11/25/11 at 11:44 AM [Reply]

it did NOT take you less time to get from midland avenue to St. Marys than it took the ambulance to get from Holsenbeck fire station to midland ave.you are probably just very confused and overly dramatic, besides if you were presenting with the conditions that you claim "a stroke" then you should have been taken to the closest hospital, stabilised there and then transferred to St. Marys.Anything other than that and you DID NOT receive good care from the system.

#9.1.1 yes on 11/25/11 at 01:57 PM [Reply]

I was with them that night. I followed the ambulance to the hospital. We did get to Athens in 22 mins. It took almost 25 to get first care.

#10 crazy on 11/25/11 at 01:51 PM [Reply]

I am so very glad you were with us that night to be so sure of all of you facts. It DID take us longer to get an ambulance to us than it did to get to Athens, We had people with us and one was a 911 dispatcher. She was appalled. My husband called everyone and launched complaints when all was over. Do not correct me sir when you have no clue. I am anything but dramatic. That is absurd.

#10.1 Jack Legg on 11/25/11 at 03:03 PM [Reply]

You are the one who said the ambulance came from the Holsenbeck fire station, it takes at most 8 or 9 minutes to drive to where you said your were from that fire station and thats without lights and siren.Now, did they or didnt they come from the holsenbeck fire station? not too sure now are you. Im just going to have to go ahead and pronounce you as a major drama queen, gosh Im so glad you made it things must have been touch and go there for a while....do you need some laudnum?

#10.1.1 STOP on 11/26/11 at 06:34 AM [Reply]

Sorry this was not up for debate. shared for knowledge only on an actual incident. There is paperwork to back up this claim and I have had almost a full recovery from my stroke, No one was slamming services, just providing info for needs of WINDER RESIDENTS.

#10.1.2 glad on 11/26/11 at 08:30 AM [Reply]

Wow, You are so course. This woman had young children at the time and I am so sorry you are trying to make this into a joke. She is recovering and is an inspiration to all that know her. The doctors did not even think she would make it. She was on every pray list in this county and several others. So before you make more rude comments, you need to make sure you know what you are talking about. In this incident YOU DO NOT.

#11 NO LIGHTS or SIRENS ON on 11/25/11 at 03:37 PM [Reply]

Recently it was necessary for my family to call for an ambulance when my Grandfather started experiencing severe chest pains. He has had three previous cardiac issues. After 14 minutes from the time that I called 911 from my cell phone an ambulance and ladder truck pulled up to our home with no lights or sirens on! Two things here- why would these trucks respond without there lights or sirens? Second question-Why is a ladder truck responding to a medical call in this situation instead of a regular fire truck or a rescue squad, if it was so important that a Ladder Truck respond why did they not turn on the lights so they could get there in less than 14 minutes?

#11.1 Jack Legg on 11/25/11 at 04:04 PM [Reply]

dear idiot,
maybe the closest fire truck to your house was on another call and the ladder truck was the closest availiable to bring much needed equipment and personnel to the scene in a medical emergency for your family member.cant imagine why they didnt have lights and sirens though, unless they cut them off when they turned down your street. You are so stupid, shouldnt you just be glad you got some help. when yearwood is through making more cuts your grandfather will have to wait 45 minutes to get help in a emergency , do you think that willhelp him?

#12 lol on 11/25/11 at 03:55 PM [Reply]

lol,i love these stories, and to 8.1 you are so right, everyone is in expert in an area they nothing about. winder cannot put its own ambulance contracted or not, without and ok from barrow county or going to court and trying to get the licence. its not quite as easy as you all think. as for winder fire running calls they do a good job when called the problem is the do not respond on most calls. thats a chief policy started with the old chief and not changed by the new one. winder wants a bus they should pay for one its really that simple, not have one pulled from another zone in the county, it not fair to the people who live there either. if the fire department had not been gutted by yearwood this never would have come to this. to bad post still isnt here this was going to addressed years ago.

#13 for jack legg on 11/25/11 at 04:45 PM [Reply]

Jack your right people have no clue. Out of about 74,000 people in the county 3 have complaints. Look at it now there a 6 med units in the county you move 1 to winder and now you have 5 with more complaints because they had to wait longer. I think the county does a good job with what they have. Does winder need their own ambulance , maybe but they should pay for it . Also just because a fire truck is first at your house doesnt mean your not getting care. The med unit is only your transportion. Its not just here check the other counties people has to wait their also.As for a private service...lol... well look how wel pro-care worked out everyone was pissed when they showed up . This is just a classic case of you cant make everyone happy.

#13.1 Bill on 11/25/11 at 05:06 PM [Reply]

Well they sure don't need that ambulance out on Pleasant Hill Church Rd. Especially with one in Statham just down the road. It would be much better placed in Winder.

#14 J.B. Moore on 11/25/11 at 07:32 PM [Reply]

On the above theory, what is the benefit of having the city? Disband the city of winder and stop the duplication of services. If my family has to lose their ems service for city residents to be served then what am I paying for? It is stupid and all so politicians in the city can feel important and feel like they have power. Besides revenue why do you need city p.d. A sheriff is accountable to the citizens unlike a chief. If winder has to beg for services from the county then the county should collect those taxes the winderians pay and put it in the county coffers. Otherwise oh yes the city can call rural metro sign a contract and they'll have a bus up here in short order. Stop wasting my MONEY!

#15 lol on 11/26/11 at 08:14 AM [Reply]

ONCE AGAIN, THE CITY CANNOT CONTRACT OUT FOR AN AMBULANCE ON IT OWN, THE DO NOT OWN THE LICENCE. THE COUNTY DOES. WITHOUT THE LICENCE THEY ARE IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW. THERE IS NO WIGGLE ROOM HERE. THEY HAVE TO GO TO COURT AND FILE AN APPEAL TO GET THE LICENCE (THEN WINDER GETS THE WHOLE COUNTY) OR ASK THE COUNTY TO ALLOW ONE IN, EVEN THEN THE COUNTY WOULD CONTROL IT NOT THE CITY OF WINDER. IF YOU HAV ANY DOUBTS READ THE LAWS PERTSINING TO AMBULANCES. AND THE AMBULANCE IS OBLIGATED UNDER STATE LAW TO TAKE YOU TO YOUR HOSPITAL OF CHOICE, WITH IN REASON, AND THAT IS DETERMINED BY A MECICAL DIRECTOR, WHAT IN REASON IS, BARROW IS 35 MILES, IS IN REASON.

#15.1 spellcheck needed badly on 11/26/11 at 11:18 AM [Reply]

L I C E N S E

#15.1.1 both spelling on 11/27/11 at 07:48 AM [Reply]

are correct, like GREY and GRAY, Color and Colour! so quit being the spelling police

#16 Beth on 11/26/11 at 11:21 AM [Reply]

NOBODY wants to be taken to BRMC, especially nobody that has a serious illness or injury, they are a joke! Of course you want to be taken to a decent hospital, and state law says the patient has to be taken to their CHOICE of hospitals!

#16.1 Jack Legg on 11/26/11 at 02:42 PM [Reply]

As long as you realize that when it is you how is lying in the floor from a heart attack and the emergenct ambulance is in athens, lawrenceville or gainesville with someone with a stubbed toe or a belly ache, that will be fine.you call , we haul sista.

#16.1.1 Anonymous on 11/27/11 at 01:08 AM [Reply]

I think you have been to BRMC one too many times Jack, and they either dropped you off the stretcher onto your head, or you have long term effects from being given the wrong medication. How dare you make fun of the lady who almost died....Thank God she made it in time, and was saved. please ma'am excuse his ignorance and rude comments and lack of class or compassion for he know not what he say.

#16.1.1.1 I on 11/27/11 at 07:50 AM [Reply]

feel Jack is justified,If it is an emergency there is a licensed hospital right here in Barrow county, maybe if you want to go to your Hospital you need to get in your car and go or have your neighbor drive you not waste and EMERGENCY call!!!!

#16.1.1.1.1 Beth on 11/27/11 at 08:32 AM [Reply]

Just because it is a LICENSED hospital doesn't mean it's a GOOD one! YOU go there if you want, but I'd rather die at home than in the hallway of that hellhole!

#16.1.1.1.2 life on 11/27/11 at 02:08 PM [Reply]

Saving a life is an emergency call. St. Mary's has a nationally recognized stoke center. My doctors knew what they were doing when they made the call to send me there. Barrow would have had to transfered me. That is tying up an emergency vehicle two times instead of one.

#16.2 Anonymous on 11/26/11 at 07:10 PM [Reply]

Taken to the hospital of choice WITHIN A REASONABLE DISTANCE. Barrow could set the mileage at 15 miles if they wanted to.

#16.3 Mina on 11/28/11 at 10:30 PM [Reply]

I'm impressed by your writing. Are you a professional or just very konlwedegalbe?

#17 Sheesh on 11/27/11 at 03:08 PM [Reply]

It is interesting that so many points of view are expressed and all of them bitched about on an equal basis. Obviously Barrows leadership must rise up from homes just like these.

#18 Jack Legg on 11/28/11 at 02:03 PM [Reply]

I have studied this sitiation for a long time and Im pleased to say that if I am elected to the chairmanship in 2012 we will have a new and better EMS system in Barrow County.
To start with we will do away with a county ran ambulance service.We dont really collect that much money from it anyway because most users are also non payers.We will take those paramedics and put them on Advanced Life Support rescue trucks and ALS Engines as a back up. We will contract with a private service for 5 Basic Life support ambulances and 2 ALS units for the best price we can get. We will send a paramedic with the BLS truck to the hospital if his certification is needed.The price will be negotiated withthe private so that Barrow medical center will be the cheapest transport . This will get the county out of a loosing business and at the same time keep the highest levels of medically trained personel in service most of the time.
This will also keep our fire trucks fully staffed most of the time as well.
This is the future, embrace it.Get a leg up in 2012

#18.1 Anonymous on 11/28/11 at 07:43 PM [Reply]

Jack, you might want to study just a little bit longer. When you say that Barrow does not collect that much...just who do you think is going to have to subsedize the private company. You think there just going to march into Barrow County and sign a contract without any gurantees from the county?

I'm not necessarily against the private ambulance service, however, there will be no savings to the county. Those parasites that keep calling 911 for free ride will still get a free ride from the private service...and still paid for by the Barrow County tax payer.

You really going to instruct your ambulance service to refuse transport to a hospital for one of these freeloaders? A mega lawsuit just waiting and the lawyers are licking their chops reading your posts...

#18.1.1 Jack Legg on 11/28/11 at 08:02 PM [Reply]

I never said we would refuse to transport the parasites, and yes nothing is ever free the private service would have to be guarenteed a certain amount of money in the contract.The county would still come out better in the long run because we would not be providing the service with all its costs. The privatre service would. The big plus for my plan is that we would keep the paramedics in service more for the real emergencies.

#18.1.1.1 lol on 11/29/11 at 08:32 PM [Reply]

there are departments that have a no transport policy, there is a strict criteria for using it, but it does exist and does work.

#19 JAck on 11/28/11 at 02:20 PM [Reply]

mostly you grate on me, but I support your plan!!!!!

#20 A Paramedic on 11/28/11 at 03:32 PM [Reply]

The problem with the EMS system as a whole is not in where to place ambulances, it is education. Obviously we can put 20 ambulances in service and never have enough. People call 911 for the smallest of things. My stomach hurts, and its been hurting for a few weeks, my back hurts, same thing. all of these things do require medical attention but do not require emergent attention. when people use an emergency service for this it takes a toll on a service and no service in the world can handle it. Take Grady for example, 26 trucks in Atlanta and always busy. Do they run there fair share of emergent calls, yes, but do they also provide a taxi service to uneducated citizens, yes. What occurs in Atlanta occurs in Barrow. The problem is education. If anyone wanted to know what a good plan for EMS is, stop and ask a paramedic. They would tell you the same. But as long as people choose not to be educated on appropriate utilization of an ambulance there can never be a correct answer on location of trucks.

And Barrow Regional Medical Center is a perfectly capable hospital of certain things, they are not a cardiac facility, stroke center, or trauma center. So the majority of paramedics will not give you a choice of transport there, but for some ailments they are great, and are nationally recognized for it. As far as using them, Barrow County will probably continue to utilize that hospital, it keeps an ambulance local and also keeps taxes in the county. As far as choices go I am sure Barrow EMS would go to the closest facility in the event of a cardiac arrest, due to closest facility.

Lastly, one point of education. an ambulance does not warrant an immediate trip to a room at an ER. This is a common misconception that is believed but not true. The need for immediate care warrants use of a room, as well as the volume of patients at that facility.

#20.1 Businessman on 11/28/11 at 07:26 PM [Reply]

Very well said, however, I take to task the uneducated part. These people who use the ambulance service for a Taxi are very well educated on how to beat the system.

They call an ambulance, first...to get a free ride to the hospital, two...so they will not have to wait in the emergency room to see the doctor, three...they know they have to be seen by the doctor before payment is made...fourth...they never pay for the ambulance trip or the emergency room treatment. Yup...well educated and they keeping passing the education down to generation after generation.

Until the system is changed, these parasites will always use the system and cut corners to get in front of someone who really needs the emergency services.

I spent years in the emergency services and it never changes...

#21 Old Salt on 11/29/11 at 06:36 PM [Reply]

Jack: Your plan has working possibilities. Back in the day this was a plan that I worked under. There were multiple BLS trucks and several medics. As medics we ran out of the Bronco's (Yes I know I am dating myself). In the back of the Bronco's there were cardiac monitors, drug boxes and all the ALS equipment to run a call. If the call was a BLS call, which by the way 80% to 90% are that ^^^^^^^ Businessman has it right^^^^ They are smart at beating the system. The other part of the deal is it convinced EMT's to go onto to Medic School so that they didn't have to run all the BS calls.

Private Ambulance services work if they didn't Cobb County and other major markets wouldn't use them. We are a very small area and service and the number of calls could support your type of system. The bad part is that no one wants to make a change. (Even Obama who ran on change couldn't make changes).

The issue that everyone seems to be struggling with is how to we place a truck within the high response zone to better meet the call demand without robbing peter to pay paul. The Triage way (Jacks program) is a way to do it so that the Paramedics (ALS the folks that can treat strokes, cardiac issues and provide a higher level of care) can be available and not get caught up in a 2 hour transport to the most appropriate facility. You notice I said APPROPRIATE facility. Trauma cases are handled by Gwinnett Medical Center and Athens Regional. Barrow is not a level 2 center and is not capable of handling that type of call. To the writer who was having a stroke I feel for her situation. 25 minutes to get any response is terrible especially when your husband could have continued up the road. St. Mary's was and is listed as a Stroke receiving hospital so you went to hospital that could handle your situation. I am glad to read that you have since recovered.

For the writer that wonders why no lights or siren was used to her residence. Lights and Sirens these days on fire truck and ambulance do nothing but create a traffic hazard for the operators. People behind the wheel are too busy on the phone, turning up the radio etc.. While operating a fire truck or ambulance the general width of the truck requires the operator to drive into oncoming traffic. The Lights and Siren are a request for the right away and not a demand. Driver's have to show Due regard for the safety of others. Arriving in a neighborhood filled with children with lights and siren is only asking for a small child to run towards the truck to wave or see what is going on. This would further delay them getting to them. Slipping in (Undetected or under the cover of darkness) is actually faster. The reason for the Ladder truck is simple you live in station 7's zone and a Chest Pain requires both a Fire truck and an ambulance response due to the nature of the call and the potential for needing two people in the back of the ambulance to treat that type of call. The ladder truck is used more as a quint (Fire terms for a fire truck with a big ladder on top) since it carries fire hose and has a water tank.

So I know there will be some that disagree but from an OLD SALT that has been there and done that and has plenty of T-shirts to show for it. I would hope that the LEADERS of this County (Chairman, BOC and the new County Manager) can come up with some fiscal responsible answers and keep in mind that EVERYONE pays taxes and that no one should be robbed to pay paul.

#22 Employee on 12/13/11 at 03:15 PM [Reply]

From the words of the former EMS director Billy Emmett “ Once the EMS merges with the Fire Department ,EMS will fall apart and care will cease to exist”. Can’t say I disagree, I mean once you force a firefighter to become an EMT or Paramedic or vice versa Paramedics or EMT to be firefighters you are really just saying you need these qualifications to be promoted, oh and also you need it to be an employee. So you see the EMS is the backbone of the fire service here in Barrow County. And before you bunch of firefighters get all out of shape just sit back and think about it. Over 80% of all calls are EMS related and without the EMS the call volume would not be there and jobs would be fewer. I think firefighters and EMS both have vital roles and once you force it on someone you really don’t get what you deserve. Barrow County citizens can thank a former fire chief for merging the departments. It was supposed to save the tax payers and it did, but in the long run it ran off a bunch of great volunteers and other fire and ems personnel. But he was just doing what he thought all tax payers wanted or maybe it was just all smoke and mirrors who knows.
Simple solutions to major problems. Separate services again and leave it that way. Bring back the fire tax and stop putting the money the EMS does bring in the General fund. You know that’s the fund that the whole county can put their hands on. Bring back the volunteers I know this sounds crazy but wow it seems to work in Jackson and Occonee Counties. Oh yeah just one small problem with that. You have to be at least EMT certified to be an employee or volunteer. Time to get rid of that policy. Get into the high schools and do some recruiting. If the military can do it so can the fire service, its not rocket surgery. What this service needs to do is get back to the basics start over from the core.
Maybe this is too much way too late, I hope not. Please citizens of the county do not degrade our services or the men and women whom deliver them we work with what we have been dealt. So anyone who has had problems with the service in the last 10 years you can thank former management. Now I am not the person with all the answers, but it appears that none of you whiners are either. I encourage each of you that complain for the good or the bad to just go by a fire station and say thank you for all you do.

#22.1 Anonymous on 12/13/11 at 03:32 PM [Reply]

What is "rocket surgery"? Your other remarks might have more credibility if you knew the correct phrase for a common figure of speech.

#22.1.1 Michael Robinson on 12/13/11 at 03:55 PM [Reply]

Rocket surgery is a thing.

https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Rocket%20surgery

#22.1.2 Production Manager on 12/13/11 at 05:18 PM [Reply]

Rocket Surgery is a production company...

http://www.rocketsurgery.com/

#22.1.3 Employee on 12/13/11 at 06:40 PM [Reply]

Figure of speech, being funny, kind of like calling you an oxy moron. Get it.

#22.1.4 Employee on 12/13/11 at 06:43 PM [Reply]

so sorry about that. Rocket Science, is that better?

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