A Lucasville resident had to wait over 20 precious minutes for an ambulance to start heading his way after a call to 9-1-1. The 81-year-old man with a history of cardiac issues might be having a heart attack.
Dispatch called for a local squad, but none was available. Ten minutes later they tried EMT Ohio, who also didn’t have a crew. Then they tried Portsmouth Ambulance who was also unavailable. They sent out another alert for a local squad, which acknowledged the call around twenty minutes later and began the process of responding.
The area is suffering a shortage of EMTs, both at private ambulance companies and in volunteer EMS service.
**Publishers Note: SCDN recently investigated the issue as some have pointed to the opioid crisis as putting undue strain on emergency services. We are in the unique position to provide those statistics as we review the calls for service each day and have for many years. The opioid crisis is real. That’s not disputed. According to the reports, drug-related calls for medics account for 20-25% of their total call volume.
So, this issue is truly a shortage of staff. Most ambulance services have programs available to either pay for the training or offer reimbursements for advanced training. If you or someone you know truly wants to help their community, this is the most pressing need.
