County residents raised serious safety concerns after recent EMS layoffs in the area, but University Medical Center wants to reassure they are not putting any lives at risk with the change.
A City sub-committee changed the set of standards for emergency medical services in the area. EMS providers now have to respond to 911 emergency calls within eight minutes and fifty-nine seconds, and provide certain medical services in each call.
Since UMC is responsible for calls in the city limits, they have taken over all 911 calls. Now volunteer county departments are no longer able to respond to these calls unless requested by the hospital.
With a decrease in calls and now revenue from those calls, West Carlisle Volunteer Fire Department told EverythingLubbock.com they have laid off 12 of their EMS first responders.
“I feel like we’re being betrayed,” County Resident Joe Freeman said. “Every body is wanting to take our tax money but they don’t want to provide services.”
County residents argue that they are in danger from a delayed response time living in the county rather than in city lines. Some added that their tax dollars should pay for more than what they are receiving with this change.
However, UMC Senior Vice President of Support Services Jeff Hill wants to reassure the public that their EMS is capable to meet these new standards without putting any lives at risk.
“I do want to assure those citizens they will receive an ambulance,” Hill said. “If they call 911 and in need of EMS services, whether in the city or in the county, they will receive an ambulance no one will lose service through this process.”
Hill added that since the new change, their services have been responding to each 911 emergency call with success and up to code.
“UMC EMS is capable and willing to meet the standards and that’s what we’re intending to do,” Hill said. “We would like to develop the standards with the community partners and talk to them about the future of the service in the rural areas of our community.”
