EMS crisis ongoing in Preston County
Trending
KINGWOOD - Bruceton Community Ambulance Service temporarily suspended service. KAMP is operating with just one fully staffed ambulance and eliminated its Sunday overnight shift. EMS coverage in Preston County continues to struggle.
Kelly Fike, president of Terra Alta Community Ambulance Squad and Preston County EMS Association, addressed the county commission Tuesday.
"I am here today to address the ongoing EMS crisis in Preston County, the steps our agencies have taken to maintain coverage, the financial and staffing challenges we continue to face, and the urgent need for a coordinated, countywide plan moving forward,” she said. "This crisis did not begin when Bruceton Ambulance temporarily suspended their operations. It has been building for years, as agencies have struggled with staffing shortages, increasing operational expenses, inadequate reimbursement and a lack of dependable funding. We have repeatedly raised these concerns and asked for help, yet we continue to find ourselves facing the same problems with few lasting solutions."
Fike said on October 2 she was contacted by the County EMS Director and asked whether Terra Alta could provide additional coverage for the Bruceton area due to Bruceton Ambulance Services temporarily suspending operations. Fike said she advised him that her squad would do their best to provide an additional crew for 16 hours per day. However, she said she told him, due to their call volume and staffing limitations, providing an overnight crew was not feasible at that time.
"After further discussion with our leadership, we agreed to provide this additional coverage for seven days. We communicated this commitment to Henry (EMS Director Henry McDonald), and requested a meeting with the county commission the following week to discuss what would happen with EMS coverage moving forward," Fike said. "On Oct. 6, I sent another email requesting a meeting with at least one commissioner, Henry, and representatives from all four ambulance squads. The purpose was simple, to sit down together and openly discuss the state of EMS in our county, and develop a plan to address growing problems."
She said on Oct. 8, she spoke with McDonald again, who advised her that he didn’t believe the commission would allow him to attend the requested meeting. Fike said he indicated the commission wanted Brain LaRue to begin his new position before meeting with the squads.
"I explained this meeting was not about money or disbursements, it was about an EMS system in crisis," she said. "We are facing serious gaps in emergency medical coverage, and we needed an open, honest discussion involving all agencies to determine how we could continue protecting the citizens of Preston County."
She said on Oct. 9, representatives from all four agencies met in Kingwood. Fike said no commissioner was present and McDonald was not permitted to attend.
She said providing the additional crew for the initial seven days increased payroll expenses by nearly $6,000. Fike said because KAMP would not have coverage on Sunday, she decided to continue the additional crew for three more days and put a second overnight crew in service Sunday night.
"We made that decision to help protect the citizens of Preston County while we waited for today’s meeting and hoped to hear how the commission intends to address this crisis," she said. "I want to be very clear. Terra Alta cannot financially sustain three crews per day for the long term."
Fike went on to explain the financial burden of providing EMS service is not just experienced by Terra Alta. She said for years EMS agencies have been raising concerns about the increasing cost of providing emergency medical care and the growing gap between what it costs to operate and the revenue availability to support those operations. Fike said EMS providers have repeatedly explained these challenges and asked for solutions, yet meaningful, sustainable assistance has remained limited.
She said this is not solely a Preston County problem. Rural EMS agencies face particular challenges, including long transport distances, limited staffing pools, and reimbursements that may not cover the actual cost of care.
Commissioner Samantha Stone said she would like commissioners to have a special session with members of all four EMS squads to discuss problems and look for solutions.
"We are working to get these payments (EMS Ordinance fees). Not one ounce of these funds have been spent on anything. I want to set a special session so we can address problems. We have to get a system in this county. We are moving forward, and there’s a plan coming forth."
The date of the special session will be announced later.
In other business, commissioners approved $20,956.72 for two mobile and two portable Motorola radios for EMS.
Commission went into executive session after their regular meeting and voted to allot $15,000 to Bruceton Ambulance Service.
In a social media post Tuesday, Bruceton Community Ambulance Service stated that it will be operational again starting Tuesday evening “for the time being.” They thanked the community for its support and Terra Alta EMS for its coverage.
The next meeting of the Preston County Commission will be at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 19.