Atrium Health Navicent Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has made numerous changes since they took over in Baldwin County in early November.
Executive Leader of Atrium Health EMS Georgia & Alabama Bud Owens said that new equipment was added to the new ambulances that serve the county.
“We purchased five brand new ambulances with patient loading devices, which is about another $30,000 add-on to an ambulance that Grady does not offer and I am not familiar with any other services in the area that offer that right now,” Owens said.
Another new piece of equipment that is on every ambulance is the LUCAS device. This $20,000 piece of equipment does automated compressions for CPR, and the outcomes for the patient are much better. This equipment was previously on only one ambulance in the county.
The previous Grady EMS services were providing two 24-hour ambulances that were centralized at the same location. Atrium is now providing four 24-hour ambulances that are all located in different areas around the county.
County Commissioner Carlos Tobar said this was one of the reasons why they were excited to work with Atrium.
“Atrium, in their proposal, said they were willing to consider relocating crews and ambulances to different parts of the county for the primary reason of lowering the response times,” Tobar said.
Tobar said that the fire stations and new EMS service have been working together to allow crews and ambulances to be spread throughout the county.
“Our firefighters have worked alongside Atrium Health to prepare living quarters at the South side station and also at North Baldwin,” he said. “That should reduce response times county-wide.”
The average response time for EMS services to arrive on scene had crept up to 13 minutes as the transition for the new services was taking place. Since then, the average response time has been lowered to around nine and a half minutes.
Baldwin County Fire Chief Victor Young,said he and his crew have been grateful to have the new services on board and expect to keep the momentum going.
“We are moving very fast, they are getting along very well and my people are very excited,” Young said. “I think the response times will keep going down as we keep moving forward.”