Published March 20 in The Big Sandy News

Martin ambulance service loses bid to make 911 rotation

By LILLY ADKINS
The Big Sandy News Martin County Bureau

INEZ — A motion for a temporary injunction requiring Martin County to add Martin Emergency Medical Services to its 911 rotation has been denied by Martin Circuit Judge Daniel R. Sparks.

Sparks found that the ambulance service’s rights had not been violated as the company claimed in a lawsuit. Sparks found that the measure taken by Judge-Executive Lon Lafferty to direct all 911 calls to NetCare was a good faith effort to protect the citizens of Martin County in insuring adequate emergency ambulance service.

In his ruling, Sparks said that MCEMS was contacted by DES Director Dallas Sweeney in March 2000 regarding financial problems the ambulance service was experiencing and its ability to continue to provide service to the residents of Martin County. Sweeney got no response, and an emergency order was entered by Lafferty to route all advanced life-support calls to NetCare.

In May 2000, MCEMS only had one operational unit available, the order states. Five other units had been repossessed and one needed repairs before it could respond to calls.

Sparks noted that during a surprise inspection in May 2000, it was discovered that there was no paramedic employed by the service during the previous two months and that all the company’s units were broken down and inoperable.

In May 2000, Lafferty ordered that not only advanced life-support calls but all 911 calls be given to NetCare for response.

During the time the executive order was entered, the ambulance service was under different management.

It was established that the corporate charter of MCEMS had been revoked by the state, leaving the ownership and legal status of the service under a cloud.

MCEMS is now owned by Phillip Elliott, who has other services in Eastern Kentucky. Elliott has placed two stations in Martin County — one in Warfield and the other in Inez — and asked that the court place the service in the 911 rotation. Elliott said during a hearing that he would be seeking to obtain a corporate charter and didn’t anticipate that there would be any problems.

BACK TO NEWS INDEX

BACK TO MAIN INDEX

COMMENTS

Copyright © 2002 The Kentucky EMS Connection. All rights reserved. News stories may be copyrighted by another organization. Original material may be reproduced provided source is credited.