[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5978632,"mediaKeyId","5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db","parentId",5810674,"title","Board told Medstead ambulance service may be closing; authority awaiting official notice","audioSeconds",36,"startMs",2182000,"endMs",2218000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db&start=2182&end=2218","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db/thumbnail_2182000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5978632/Coffee-County/Tennessee/Board-told-Medstead-ambulance-service-may-be-closing-authority-awaiting-official-notice","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978632-8f037bb1ae764f06d422745c5174b2dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775542757&Signature=Axp24gfq1qQdyGv6lyhdD8qgTpVatm8~oAvGfm~MxRiGZjwtgGHW6QApv77nOZHGi23BGSje3BwZng4mDl7oGqG9m4lHdOjL2uYu3Ww3Al3OGC2c6D5mnxk6NfezWUrWyBwnWMNypZPBjw~2FD9c7XnBOPnU4eJg3mS9w-Qaj68snfDkbKMV-DEHGDQRER8NYnSG7-DCQaiImQmmWO8ZDcXBinPoDb5l0VFco5p5n7Q1bQr65tuu8bc0RBtuSFDeidMhTtR9ZY14LTpKeIjFWiGnTvZVcAAsEl7NxMRxy~XGcRkFVHa2xHqY7cwlo9tZWdqwedENtiaa-N-Wsn~c7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Coffee County, TN","date","2025-09-19T00:00:00Z","article","Board members reported informal information that Medstead ambulance service (referred to in discussion as \"Medstead\" and later as \"Medstat\") may be closing operations, but the Analyst Authority had not received official notification as of the Sept. 18 meeting.
Why it matters: if a private ambulance provider stops operating locally it could affect county transport capacity and require adjustments by other providers.
A board speaker said former employees told them Medstead is in the process of closing and has released most staff, possibly maintaining a skeleton crew only to serve dialysis transports through the end of the month. Authority staff said the information is hearsay and that they expect formal notice if the company files to cease operations.
Board discussion listed currently operating private providers in the county (as referenced in the meeting): X (unnamed), AmeriMed and Team Mobile; the board noted Medstead/Medstat has had three providers operating in the area and that further clarification is needed. The authority has not taken formal action and will monitor for official notification from the provider or state regulators.
Ending: Board members asked staff to report back if and when the authority receives formal notification so the board can assess impacts and coordinate with other providers.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9/18/25 Ambulance Authority","oneSentenceSummary","Board members said they had received informal reports that Medstead (referred to as Medstat/Medstead in discussion) ambulance service is winding down operations and releasing staff; the authority had not received official notice as of the Sept. 18 meeting.","taxTitle","Coffee County, Tennessee","taxId",70973,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5978638,"North Station closed briefly after sewer smell; p-trap installed",76,2090000,2166000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db&start=2090&end=2166","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db/thumbnail_2090000.jpg","/articles/5978638/Coffee-County/Tennessee/North-Station-closed-briefly-after-sewer-smell-p-trap-installed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978638-dfa8b9b0a53b667bdd96517ef54bca08/orig.mp4?Expires=1775542757&Signature=dnOyvW0lJBxJuSnSc2J7ZQSKEQZEjh3stWIK2w~AcTpWYXmq7ICmLqylZHAWh2g9JaUXXhH9wCWz7fwBw19PZRXl0-9l8KlwuAaxB2Q5NiHVwM-eiT5wj63QHdfwn5fDYC6OmVtgs2b~ELHV8yW85lE36MwRuI5gIcDgSlpKzL03ffUtL~EL74UeMLXj7uVL-V0zSKFeisosd3Se~adpDAt3Cc1~6yrI15eCVMrok-JEvRuo6mgN-vXmTl9dY2KsMDQyxTefmW0Ep1OQdjiDG5qgnMEElGj24u25rwF7w~zowbpXNDZltPm3lJDWOwbB8W9ie9ZG9VFAyKvllo-e-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Analyst Authority temporarily closed its North Station for about two to three days after staff detected odors, Director Paul told the board on Sept. 18. Utility Authority personnel inspected the building and identified sewer odors linked to a washer drain that lacked a P-trap.
Why it matters: an apparent plumbing defect allowed sewer gases into the station; crews installed a P-trap and made corrections and the station was declared clear.
Paul said TUA personnel \"smoked\" the plumbing to trace sewer flow and that the utility's new equipment likely changed pressure in the line and exposed the missing P-trap as the source of odor. County maintenance staff (Rick Sorsy and his crew) made corrections; Paul reported the issue resolved and thanked staff for their response.
Board members acknowledged the quick response and the director's notification to the board. There was no vote or policy action associated with the incident.
Ending: The station reopened after repairs and staff said they would notify the board of any further building issues.
","The authority temporarily closed its North Station for about 2–3 days after staff and the utility authority located sewer odors; work crews found a washer drain without a P-trap and corrected it, staff said.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5978643,"Board moves to review lift-assist policy after 64 calls in August",522,1407000,1929000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db&start=1407&end=1929","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db/thumbnail_1407000.jpg","/articles/5978643/Coffee-County/Tennessee/Board-moves-to-review-lift-assist-policy-after-64-calls-in-August","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978643-ad090d898e20f9014f7191f8027d587e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775542757&Signature=auhA6u1TpGZH6HYxareBT4vIojRZgKywKxJ9rAspUHM2MVz~ZlFoZS~2A~ZOY1Ma86BJz46tWdCO12GF56wQovP8C-UYUa939LwUdOOUD3AD2DMKVxXqF44DcHqzH~jNlwBPnf6HUgemRbfJ0XO6fRfllKenrml~A9xHQp-cNeLsgWUKC7SIW82Ej5IvTeMdjPCB~LYadSobikmj7c~E3XIlGj8H0ISgokj7fH8czWKkpgqL47RnHTMWyf2KTd0mcthegCfi8FjxYjLYLOeEWwPE98l-VYSlW0drHrBT5tY8lw~2uHdfYq5fDqknAbAHXBIt3zrjttsOcnzVEKeOXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Sept. 18 Analyst Authority meeting board members reopened a discussion of the lift-assist/public-assist policy after staff reported 64 lift-assist calls in August and anecdotal evidence of repeat, non-emergency calls.
Why it matters: repeated non-emergency lift-assist calls can tie up ambulances and reduce availability for true emergencies, board members said.
Board member Dr. Teal and others recalled a prior policy that included a fee for repeat non-emergency lift assists but said they were unsure whether that policy had been implemented or enforced. Board members said the previous policy was \"generous\" and may have lacked sufficient enforcement.
Discussion points included changing the enforcement window from three months to one month to make tracking and billing easier, generating automated threshold notices when a caller reaches the threshold, and clarifying whether an ambulance is the appropriate responder for non-injury assists. Staff discussed alternatives: fire, law enforcement or other community services could respond when appropriate, but that would require comm center coordination.
Board members asked the comm center to produce call-type reports that separate true falls from public-assist/lift-assist calls and agreed a CAD data change (updating a call from \"fall\" to \"public assist\" after on-scene assessment) would improve reporting. Several members noted that some calls initially coded as falls are later documented as simple assists and should be recoded so reports are accurate.
Direction: the board asked Director Paul and operations lead Michael to draft recommended policy language (including suggested billing thresholds, notice language and an enforcement mechanism) and to coordinate with the comm center and the comm-center director (Harper) to change call handling and reporting; the item will be returned to the board next month for action.
Ending: Board members emphasized that any new policy must include procedures for notifying callers, a mechanism to bill when thresholds are exceeded, and comm center coding changes so the authority can measure and enforce the policy.
","Board members discussed tightening the lift-assist policy, billing thresholds and comm center call categorization after 64 lift-assist calls in August; staff were asked to draft recommended language and coordinate with the comm center.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5978648,"Authority reviews ambulance response times, staffing and stationing as calls rise",149,869000,1018000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db&start=869&end=1018","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db/thumbnail_869000.jpg","/articles/5978648/Coffee-County/Tennessee/Authority-reviews-ambulance-response-times-staffing-and-stationing-as-calls-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978648-6337642c0b5eb10b493fd7a9ad5cc13c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775542757&Signature=IexIRtCAoh2sCewlrMfEE-KOvsWjIDiVJLrPOWt~ygjD8zKYfIh7N8sjUdH18q-o3u0e6IARPm8nEt1qhaeIxfiSY~FXSGTiZP3eNpqh1J4c9pHSEOFoiKt0HAjYLL7zFc5vyHBhhKM8HEcGneTrzhm1RAsiClCf2LLjHj6GO-7xi5ojLbFEcDTa0MszL8CoJ7mpxeBX0BukfZQHND6uW~~kwsE0m4JTY4hccye0sjg4O9JGIIxSe9xP4WBHlqroZYdClGi3HGrhPzmSRnZj2rSrXFgC7-vl4TwVlK-xLkVO~PvkBrpubnqhU1DdZpHnz9zZa8DrwWgub1oNWgJWHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Analyst Authority meeting Sept. 18 Director Paul reported August operational metrics and staffing status, prompting a board discussion about response-time outliers and potential stationing adjustments.
Why it matters: board members said elevated response times in certain corridors could require different unit placement or increased staffing to maintain emergency coverage.
Paul, the authority director, gave an operational summary: total calls for August, an average response time of 7 minutes 7 seconds, average on-scene time and an average total call time of about 47 minutes. He said the busiest day was Saturday and the busiest hour 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Paul also reported transports to regional hospitals and call volumes by zone (examples given: Manchester, Tullahoma north/south, New Union).
Board members pressed for a breakdown of calls that exceed 20 minutes and where responding units originated. One board member said some long responses result when units from Manchester or South Station travel far (for example, travel up route 55 to Beech Grove), creating 40-minute trips that can tie up resources.
Paul and others noted staffing remains constrained but improving: no newly hired paramedics since the prior meeting, several EMT hires and one EMT in orientation, and at least one person in paramedic school. New Union station staffing has been \"pretty regular\" though not at 100 percent.
The board discussed using CAD (computer-aided dispatch) and NEMSIS reporting or comm center reports to stratify calls into buckets (0–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20+ minutes) to identify patterns. Paul and others agreed the comm center can run bracketed response-time reports; the board directed staff to work with the comm center to produce reports showing calls over 20 minutes and the originating unit to support stationing and manning decisions.
Ending: The board asked staff to return with a response-time report and staffing implications at the next meeting to inform decisions about additional units or station adjustments.
","Director Paul presented August operations data showing average response time of 7 minutes 7 seconds, 64 lift-assist calls, and areas with long travel times; board asked staff to analyze calls over 20 minutes and stationing impacts.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5978652,"Ambulance fund posts $2.4 million balance; FY25 revenue slightly exceeds expenses",584,110000,694000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db&start=110&end=694","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5810674-b78a72e7ce2c945b7b37fa0ce62272db/thumbnail_110000.jpg","/articles/5978652/Coffee-County/Tennessee/Ambulance-fund-posts-24-million-balance-FY25-revenue-slightly-exceeds-expenses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978652-a8f1d92ea0a430e6a1e6a0c90ff31b8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775542757&Signature=Uh9zjWNznrfAchphamxyBtW9Xqm0ZP8zk4a8-KlMV6I0AQtePky3Tde3G5chiULUnehqTP2apikyk~OhbluWBDsyWIgpUK4XVu~eSS4tMvyBtfg19etxRPJsvQA1XUmiU5W3h6868uMjvOfV52X1Q~zBRrT7Wo~EW6E3-PNEAQvWrt-8NSgH9C7K47-ukZJUNxbebll-hhXruiyQur1KB1Syhp8wU5Gc15ZAPgLW9sRFjm7S3R9l2gYdRkLsUstMy~tMWRBPEkWeRhO3fnc9VdBPKsRhQawPxz~9YC9ttPGsPyhK~EE3DA9DMAMoOTL4hGyBRMDB~94I-7JjVCL0mQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Sept. 18 Analyst Authority meeting finance staff Mariana presented August and year-to-date financial reports showing the ambulance operations fund balance at $2,403,008.72 and FY25 revenue exceeding expenditures by $17,162.
Why it matters: the ambulance fund was moved out of the general fund in 2013 to build a dedicated reserve for operations and equipment replacement; board members said the current balance supports that goal.
Mariana, the authority’s finance staff member, walked the board through the operations report, accounts receivable and collections. She said accounts receivable figures (about 844 on the report) reflect a usual run rate of roughly two months behind billing and that collections remain strong despite routine issues with insurers. Mariana told the board FY25 per-call collections averaged about $434 to date and noted FY24 ended with a per-call figure of about $390.
The packet distributed to board members included revenues broken down (property taxes, patient collections, Medicaid subsidy) and expenditures separated into salaries, benefits, operating and Medicaid matching share. Mariana reported that July collections are often accrued back to June and that property tax revenues typically arrive in October and December, so year-to-date results understate expected receipts.
Board members asked questions about last year’s bottom line and the finance packet; Mariana said she had a more detailed report and had placed the budget book in members’ boxes. Mariana noted the fund’s 2013 beginning balance and the intention to grow a self-sustaining fund to reduce reliance on property taxes; she showed multi-year revenue and expenditure snapshots to illustrate growth since the fund’s creation.
Ending: Board members thanked Mariana for the report and said they would refer to the budget book and the distributed snapshot if questions arise.
","At the Sept. 18 Analyst Authority meeting, finance staff presented August financial reports showing an ambulance operations fund balance of $2,403,008.72 and FY25 revenue $17,162 higher than expenditures.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board told Medstead ambulance service may be closing; authority awaiting official notice

North Station closed briefly after sewer smell; p-trap installed

Board moves to review lift-assist policy after 64 calls in August

Authority reviews ambulance response times, staffing and stationing as calls rise

Ambulance fund posts $2.4 million balance; FY25 revenue slightly exceeds expenses