EMS searching for ambulance location

LAUDERDALE COUNTY - Work is moving forward with the transition to a new emergency medical service for the city of Florence and Lauderdale County.

Lauderdale EMS, which does business in Colbert County as Keller EMS, was awarded a bid for the emergency medical service earlier this month. The company is owned by Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield.

Bruce Carson, director of Lauderdale and Keller EMS, said he has been meeting with Lauderdale and Florence officials to get ready for the transition.

"We have a date in mind when we'd like to be ready, but at this point there is nothing concrete," Carson said. "We should have a firm date very soon."

Carson said he anticipates Lauderdale EMS to be in operation within the next two months.

Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency Director George Grabryan said that until Lauderdale EMS prepares operations, NorthStar Paramedic Services has agreed to continue providing emergency service to the county and city on a monthly basis.

"They have agreed to continue the service that they are now providing until the new company takes over," Grabryan said.

Carson is trying to secure a location for the company's ambulances.

According to the contract, the service will provide four ambulances in the city and two in Rogersville.

"In Rogersville, we're talking with city officials, and hopefully we'll be able to use a city-owned building to house the ambulances there. We're still trying to work out those details," Carson said.

Carson said the company is negotiating to purchase the old Jimmie's Battery Shop building on Dr. Hicks Boulevard in

Florence.

If the sale goes through, the building would become the headquarters in

Florence.

"We've had a construction company do a walk-through in the building to see what needs to be done," Carson said.

"We think it's a good location, and hopefully, it will work out."

He said the facility must be big enough to house five ambulances and a dispatch center.

The company is purchasing seven new ambulances that will be put into service in Florence and Lauderdale County.

He said the new ambulances will be the box-type vehicles and will start coming in next week.

Also, Carson said it will take a minimum of 45 full-time employees to run the

operation.

He said interviews are being conducted to fill those positions.

"We're excited about this, and think it's a great partnership," said Vanessa Gullett, a public relations official with Helen Keller Hospital.

Carson said everything is moving at a good pace.

"It looks like we're moving toward providing a great service," he said.

"We're excited about the opportunity to establish a community-based EMS system here."

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.

n What's next: Company officials hope finish the transition within the next two months.