Published Dec. 21 in the Big Sandy News

Martin County tells court not to discuss ambulances

By LILLY ADKINS
Martin County Bureau, Big Sandy News

INEZ — Martin County EMS owner Phillip Elliott submitted a petition to the Martin County Fiscal Court Tuesday with signatures of more than 1,000 people who want to have the ambulance service placed on the county’s 911 rotation.

The regional ambulance service, which currently has two stations in Martin County, has filed a lawsuit against the county for not allowing the company to be placed on 911 rotation. Until the matter is resolved in January, members of the fiscal court have been advised by County Attorney Drewie Muncy not to discuss the matter.

“The fiscal court looks unfavorably upon someone who would walk out on the citizens of this county,” Muncy said. “Right now, NetCare is providing a good service and is meeting the needs of this county. If they aren’t, then there are proper procedures for you to go through and you can file your complaints.”

“I can’t speak to prior problems that you had under the old management,” Elliott said. “The lawsuit is mainly a procedural way to find out why we haven’t been placed on 911 and what we can do to change that.”

Warfield resident Debbie Blevins and her daughter Jane told the fiscal court that the service should be allowed to be located in their area, and that if the service couldn’t be placed on 911 rotation, they might consider not paying the cost for 911.

The women also said that other residents in the Warfield area felt the same way, and that was why they had signed the petition.

“I’m in favor of both ambulance services,” Debbie Blevins said. “We on the other side of the hill don’t have anything. Give us an ambulance service and paramedics over there (in Warfield). Inez has everything, and we don’t have anything. We can’t get a sewer system. Inez has one, and we need one too. Come on fellas, give them a chance.”

“If you don’t want to put them on the 911 rotation, I’ll take the 911 off my telephone bill and there are other people who will do the same thing,” Jane Blevins said.

Judge-Executive Lon Lafferty, a doctor, said that he knows how important medical services are to Martin Countians and that he wouldn’t be against the company if it is placed on rotation. But he noted that Muncy had told the court that the issue shouldn’t be discussed until the lawsuit is resolved.

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