7:38 PM Abbeville Ambulance Wrecks During Bad Weather

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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3347901729
Date: Jun 10 2024 8:13 PM

ABBEVILLE:       Henry County Central 911 dispatched Abbeville Rescue to a medical emergency at the lake.

It had started raining while responding to the medical call. At the time of this call not sure the exact cause but the Abbeville Rescue ambulance wrecked and flipped. It was a one vehicle accident. It is possible it hydroplaned.

Henry County Sheriff Deputies had to break the front windshield of the overturned ambulance to extricate the driver and medic from the wreckage.

Headland Fire - Rescue responded to the medical emergency at the lake and the wrecked ambulance. The Abbeville Ambulance crew received non life threatening injuries.

EMS is perhaps the least appreciated people until someone needs them. I did not realize how underappreciated they are, even by fellow emergency responders.

EMS responds to structure fires and remains on the scene for three hours. No one is injured so there is no one to bill. So those three hours are free.

EMS responds to a lift assist. Where someone has fallen and can not get up. The EMS makes sure they are OK. Helps the person up and back to the chair or bed. This is a free run.

EMS responds to a house and they get bed bugs. Guess what, they have to go because somone called and check things out. Then they have to deep clean the ambulance. And if the bed bugs get into the station then they have to call professionals to clean the station.

EMS responds to a motor vehicle accident. And no one is transported, then this is a non billable call.

EMS responds and the questions is never asked of the patient of their ability to pay. What treatment is needed, well it is provided.

The submitted bill to the insurance company or Medicaid or Medicare, they do not think the call is worth what the bill is and pay half or a third.

And insurance is sky high. Then fuel and medical supplies.

During the hurricane or tornado several years ago when a lot of the stations were closed for fuel, the EMS had problems with fuel. When Houston County was asked about getting fuel at the County Yard the EMS was denied. Yet Houston County funds WRC and they were allowed to fuel at the Houston County Yard. 

The Alabama Association of County Commissioners got a law passed they are not responsible for EMS in the county. Which in essence means, the people who live outside the corporate city limits of a municipality, their life means nothing to the governing officials of the county.

It is difficult to operate and maintain a EMS Service. And today, Abbeville Rescue while responding into the county, wrecks and totals the ambulance.

And if a governing authority needed a ambulance, and it was delayed, who would be the first to complain? 

A basic ambulance costs around $ 130,000.00. Stretchers are $ 45,000.00. The heart monitors $ 35,000.00 and up.

You do not need a ambulance, well until you need a ambulance. And the response of the ambulance can mean the difference between life and death. The EMS folks are paid far less then that of a Houston County Commissioner. But basically the EMS ambulance crews are treated like dirt often times.

Abbeville Rescue, THANK YOU for your willingness to work and you responding to the 911 call that someone needed emergency medical services. Headland Rescue, thank you for having their backs. Henry County Sheriff Department, THANK YOU for promptness in arriving at the wreck and work to extricate the driver and medic from the wreckage.

And the next time you see the men and women on the ambulance, tell them THANK YOU!

 

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