Judge-Executive Bradley Gifford hopes to sign an Emergency State Mutual Aid Agreement with the five bordering counties within the next two weeks.

The inter-local agreement is only for six months and Bracken County EMS would serve as the coordinator. Under the agreement, each of the five surrounding counties -- Bracken, Harrison, Nicholas, Fleming and Mason counties -- would serve a designated portion of Robertson County.

Brian Bishop, the executive director of the Kentucky Board of EMS, visited Robertson County Wednesday and spoke to both Gifford and the EMS employees. Bishop is helping to write the inter-local agreement, Gifford said.

"I'm sure all the counties involved are going to have to sign it. He didn't say how long it would take," Gifford said.

The county was able to get an extension on workman's compensation insurance for ambulance service staff from the Kentucky Association of Counties to cover the staff's two week's notice, Gifford said. However, he said several staff members have decided not to stay through the two-week period. He said about four of the seven staff members quit Wednesday afternoon.

EMT Kelli Jones is one of the employees who decided to quit Wednesday.

"I really feel for the community ... because there's no one obligated to provide this service," Jones said. "They have decided they can't pay for it so they have decided to put everyone's life in danger."

Robertson County had to rely on mutual aid from Bracken County Wednesday night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Two Robertson County EMS workers are scheduled to cover Thursday afternoon. But the rest of the week's scheduling is uncertain, both Gifford and Jones said.

"We're just kind of day-by-day," Gifford said. "We'll have to rely on mutual aid, I'm sure, ... until we get the agreement signed."

Also, the problem of dispatching has yet to be solved.

"We're working on it, trying to get something ironed out," Gifford said, but declined to elaborate.

In the meantime, the magistrates are working with state officials to look into grants for books and classes in the hopes that a volunteer ambulance service may be established after the six months of inter-local coverage.

"We're going to try and get some EMS classes set up, try and get some volunteers if there's enough interest," Gifford said.

There is currently no county in Kentucky not covered by at least a basic life support service, according to the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services.