Published May 17 in the Big Sandy News

Johnson County red light rivals at odds again

By CHRIS McDAVID
Big Sandy News Johnson County Bureau

PAINTSVILLE — Rival ambulance services in Johnson County are at odds again amid reported concerns about one company’s response times and lack of communication with dispatchers in emergency situations.

Paintsville fire chief Bob Dixon, who is also the director of the city ambulance service, reported to the council Tuesday that First Response Ambulance is in jeopardy of losing its license or being fined because of three recent complaints, pending before the state Attorney General.

But, Phillip Elliott — owner of First Response Ambulance Service — says the complaints expressed by Paintsville officials have ulterior motives. “They’re basically trying to find a way to get run volume and run (the ambulance service) as a business...They’d really like to get us out of business.”

During Tuesday’s council meeting, Dixon discussed two incidents that allegedly involved First Response’s more than an hour response time to a Flat Gap man, who later died, and lack of communication while responding to an unconscious child, who also died.

Dixon noted that he was not alleging First Response’s delayed response time caused the death of the unidentified Johnson County man.

“But what upsets me the most, they accepted the call — didn’t have a unit available and sent an ambulance from Floyd County,” Dixon said.

First Response is based in Prestonsburg, but has a station in Johnson County and is included on the Paintsville-Johnson County 911 Dispatch Center’s ambulance rotation. The city ambulance service is the only other company on the list.

Elliott said Thursday that he wanted to view a videotape of Tuesday’s meeting and listen to Mayor Robin Cooper’s and Dixon’s comments “before we have a reaction.”

Elliott said that Dixon “turned in” First Response over the incidents, and alleged that the Paintsville Ambulance Service is also to blame.

“The city was aware of it,” Elliott said about a First Response driver having problems with the directions to the Flat Gap man’s home. He said the ambulance driver was new to the area and had taken the wrong route from Floyd County.

As for the emergency with the Johnson County child, Dixon said the dispatcher was left in limbo and could not verify that the child was getting help. He said the dispatcher waited 18 minutes and called First Response several times to determine how far the ambulance was from the scene.

First Response base did not have radio communications with the ambulance, Dixon said.

In the meantime, the city ambulance service responded and learned that the child had already been transported.

“That was great,” Dixon said. “...Our dispatcher center set here and had no idea if the mother and baby got help.”

Elliott said two paramedics were on the scene, though, in four minutes and he noted that a Floyd County ambulance was sent to the scene, instead of a Johnson County unit, because of the city dispatcher’s communications with First Response.

“The way the dispatcher introduced themselves, we thought it was Floyd County 911,” Elliott said. “A truck was en route immediately.

“I think they got their facts misrepresented,” he continued. “...When we realized it was a pediatric call just across the county line, we had a unit almost there...Personally, I think it’s a shame...Their comments misrepresent the facts. A family lost an infant and this adds to their grief.”

Elliott also indicated that ambulance officials from both companies had discussed Monday resolving their differences. He said First Response was “really struggling in Johnson County, financially.”

First Response reduced its crew, he added.

Elliot said an agreement discussed the day before the meeting involved the city ambulance taking all 911 calls and First Response taking all non-emergency calls and transfers. He noted that no mention was made during the meeting of the plans for the two companies to work together.

The mayor said council placed the only restriction on the ambulance rotation and asked that it consider taking action and, potentially, remove First Response from the list.

Council indicated it wanted to research the issue and make sure the city ambulance service can handle all calls before eliminating the rotation list and having its ambulance service as a sole provider.

Later in the meeting, 911 coordinator Chris Haney said the council should seriously consider removing First Response from the rotation. “The city and county would be better served,” he said.

Councilman Ronnie Wells said he wants to make sure “we’re capable of handling all that.”

Wells also asked about the steady decline of revenues since the first of the year. He said the ambulance service was supposed to pick up transfer runs, but “that’s not generating enough revenue to cover the cost.

Cooper said the ambulance service has been “low” on paramedics, but currently has enough to pick up transfer runs to other hospitals.

“I think the people in this community deserve a little better,” the mayor said about the concerns with First Response.

In a related matter, Dixon’s discussion with the panel were cut short Tuesday when he was transported to a local hospital.

Cooper said the fire chief “obviously had a bout with his pace maker,” and noted that the “illustration wasn’t planned.”

Dixon was placed overnight in the intensive care unit and is recuperating at home.

Council will address the issue of the ambulance rotation during next month’s meeting.

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