GA Fire Department's Ambulance Service Faces Year Suspension
City lawmakers voted this week to suspend a Georgia fire department's ambulance service for a year following a series of complaints and concerns raised in an independent study of the department.
Now that the Augusta Fire Department is temporarily ending its ambulance service, the city must come up with a detailed alternative plan for 9-1-1 medical calls that also tries to determine the affect the suspension will have on public safety, WRDW-TV reports. Gold Coast EMS, a private service, will now handle ambulance emergencies.
The suspension was a response to a recent study of the department conducted by McGrath Consulting Group, which was obtained by the Augusta Chronicle. That study examined management and employee relations and highlighted numerous deficiencies in the department
In the report, staffers expressed "considerable displeasure" when Fire Chief Chris James added two ambulances but failed to have firefighters trained on them. The study also stated that 90 percent of those surveyed thought they could be assigned to an ambulance "with no formal training as to its operations," and some staffers said an ambulance training policy "is not followed or does not exist."
Although it pointed to these issues, the report stated that the Augusta Fire Department having better control of where its ambulances are used, rather than relying on Gold Cross EMS, was not as high a priority compared to other concerns listed.
The Augusta Commission received the report two weeks ago, and Tuesday's meeting was the first time commissioners publicly discussed its findings, according to WRDW. A motion to suspend James was initially brought up, but commissioners did not vote on it.
“We do have to realize there is a problem somewhere, whether it be at the top or the bottom—whether it be a driver or the man on the board, there is still a problem somewhere," District 9 Commissioner Marion Williams.said at the meeting, according to WRDW. "Our fire department needs to be apart saving lives, protecting property."
In voting to suspend ambulance service, commissioners said that move should help alleviate some of the issues raised in the report. The commission would also consider other alternatives in the future, WRDW added.
