Vernon Parish may soon have two ambulance services on call if the police jury votes to add Med Express to the 911 rotation at a meeting on Wednesday.
Complaints about Acadian Ambulance response times, the parish's primary provider, prompted District 3 Police Juror David Fox to bring the issue before the police jury.
"Evans, Pitkin, Simpson, some of those areas, the length of time was 45 minutes before they could get to where a car accident was. I felt like if we had a second service provider in here then we would be able to have some competition. I think it'll be a good thing for the parish."
Acadian always has one of their units on standby in the parish for emergencies. If the second unit is transporting a patient, they can call in additional resources from neighboring areas.
Slagle volunteer firefighter Anja West remembers a time she beat the ambulance to a friends house near Vernon Lake who was having a heart attack. Acadian ended up getting to her friend in time to help her, but West said the company should keep both of their units in the parish.
"If we have a major accident and there are more than three or four people that need transport by ambulance, we are down an ambulance, we have one in parish and potentially one on standby in Beauregard parish." explained West. "It's hard to work like that."
Acadians' average response time last year was 13:44. Community and Government Relations Manager Paul Fuselier said Acadian is always working to improve their system.
"80 percent of Acadian Ambulance is owned by our employees and those guys that work here, live here, their families live here. This is where they grew up, this is their home and they are very dedicated."
In a statement, Regional Vice President Michael Burney said the company has expanded coverage by adding more ambulance hours to the parish.
Med Express has locations in Leesville and Anacoco. Tyler Martin, Director of Operations, said for now they can respond to emergencies if requested.
"Two units now are going to be full time 24-7, 365 paramedic level staffed in Vernon Parish. We also have two paramedic level units in Sabine Parish to help backfill the coverage."
Although the companies have worked together in the past, Fuselier cautioned against it, citing the possibility of confusion.
"There are all types of questions that can't be answered immediately when a person needs an ambulance for an emergency. So we stand by the system of a single server of ambulance or EMS provider that is accountable- and that's the keyword- that is accountable to the people of that particular area that we serve."
Burney added "Acadian believes that one service willing to be held accountable is the only way to deliver high-quality pre-hospital care. Multiple services running the 911 calls creates confusion, inefficiencies, and ultimately delays in trying to figure out which service is closer to an emergency."
Martin said in parishes where Med Express and Acadian both operate, they've worked together to determine which unit is closer.
Another disputed difference between the companies is traveling down hazardous road conditions. Fuselier said to avoid the risk of getting an ambulance stuck and delaying care to a patient, paramedics may choose not to drive down a muddy or deteriorating road. Instead, they might ask for help from local law enforcement and emergency responders on the scene or even get to the patient on foot.
Burney further explained in a statement:
"Acadian's goal is to transport an emergency patient as quick as possible and safely to their destination. Our policy was established as a result of ambulances getting stuck on muddy roads or driveways causing delays in patient transport. When the area experiences wet weather some roads become too muddy for the weight of the ambulance to handle without getting stuck. This is where we depend on the first responders and law enforcement to help us gain access to the patient. If the unit gets stuck in the mud then there will be a delay in getting the patient to a hospital for continued treatment and care."
Additionally, Acadian investigates any issues with this guideline to determine how paramedics should respond in similar situations in the future. Med Express does not have a policy for traveling down hazardous roads.
The police jury is scheduled to vote on the issues at Wednesday's meeting at 10 a.m.
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