8:06 AM WATCH FOR LIVESTREAM - Dale County Commission Meeting At 10 AM

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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Date: Aug 13 2019 8:30 AM

DALE COUNTY:   8:06 AM  WATCH FOR LIVESTREAM on Rickey Stokes News FAN PAGE FACEBOOK ( the real one not the fake one ) for the Dale County Commission Meeting.

The Administrative Meeting for Dale County Commission should begin at 10 AM. The regular meeting where the votes are cast follows the Dale County Commission Administrative Meeting.

The topic is South Dale County Ambulance operations. There is a crowd expected at the meeting. 

The Mayors of Newton, Pinckard, Midland City, Napier Field and Grimes are wanting the    $ 5.00 EMS Fee earmarked for EMS Coverage. Prior to Chairman Mark Blakenship, members of the Dale County Commission and State Representative Steve Clouse coming up with the $ 5.00 fee, the Mayors ( other than Midland City ) had done nothing to resolve the EMS issues in southern Dale County.

Midland City did purchase a new ambulance. But it has not responded the majority of the time to EMS calls.

When Ozark Fire - EMS stopped covering Southern Dale County Pilcher Ambulance stepped in until the Mayor's could get together and come up with a funding plan. The leadership of Newton, Pinckard, Midland City, Napier Field and Grimes never came up with a plan. Finally Pilcher Ambulance had to pull out of covering that area because of the costs of operation.

Since that time ECHO EMS has covered that area. The Midland City Mayor and Council bought a ambulance. But they depended on volunteers. They voted in a meeting I attended to fund a medic $ 25.00 per call and the driver ( I think ) was $ 15.00 per run.

As you know all patients who require transport to the hospital have to go to Dothan       ( Flowers or Southeast Health ) and Ozark to Dale Medical Center. So it was expected of someone to become a medic and only make $ 25.00 for a EMS Call. From time of call, transport, paperwork, return to Midland City, restock and clean up ambulance and refuel, a minimum of 3 hours. All for $ 25.00.

So having personnel has been an issue for Midland City to operate the ambulance.

ONLY after the $ 5.00 fee and they all saw $$$ the Pinckard Mayor lead the group of 5 Mayors to meeting and forming a group of them together to get the money. The Mayors apparently instructed the legal counsel to reserve with Alabama Secretary of State the name " South Dale EMS ". The want to get the money, construct a building for the EMS centrally located between the cities and operate it.

However ECHO EMS did have a ambulance staged on the area. And most of the EMS calls have been handled by ECHO EMS. 

The Ozark - Dale County 911 Center has called as many as 5 ambulance providers attempting to get ambulances to respond. One night Ashford Rescue was dispatched to a medical emergency in Napier Field. They were cancelled because the family transported by private auto.

Ozark Fire - EMS has responded to the area. The 15 year old South Dale Student in recent weeks required Ozark Fire - EMS to respond and CPR was in progress. On this call according to Jeff Adkins, EMS Coordinator for Midland City,  said Ozark - Dale County 911 Center never called for Midland City to send a ambulance. 

Yesterday on WDHN Adkins made the claim Ozark - Dale County 911 never requested Midland City to send a ambulance. Apparently there was a lack of FACT CHECK on the part of Adkins. Think Adkins either is not telling the truth or does not know the true facts of the call.

We will see what is said at the meeting this morning before we break the true and accurate facts.

Should be an interesting meeting so stay tuned. The video will be posted following the meeting.

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