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Coffee County EMS reports improved staffing, CAD timing issue and seeks additional capital for ambulance purchase
Summary
At a Feb. 20 Coffee County Emergency Services Authority meeting, staff reported staffing improved to two full-time openings and five active crews, discussed CAD time-stamping issues and state ALS classification changes, and said the department has about $110,000 available toward an ambulance and expects to seek roughly $100,000 more.
Staff for Coffee County Emergency Services told the Coffee County Emergency Services Authority on Feb. 20, 2025, that staffing and operations have improved but remain constrained by two long-term workers on workers’ compensation and ongoing equipment and procurement issues.
The authority heard that the department is regularly staffing five ambulance crews and now has two full-time openings (one paramedic and one advanced EMT). Two other full-time staff remain out on extended workers’ compensation leave and are expected to remain out for an extended period; staff said both expect to return but have been out roughly a year and have had multiple surgeries. Because those employees retain guaranteed positions while on comp, staff said they cannot fill those slots as permanent hires, though part-time staffing has been used to cover gaps.
Staff also reported a technical issue with the communications center’s new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system that appears to have slightly increased recorded "shot" (response) times. The department said the discrepancy likely comes from differences between the CAD time stamps used (for example, call-received versus dispatch times) and that captains are working with dispatch to clarify which time is being captured.
The authority discussed changes in state classifications and practice. Staff said that because advanced EMTs (AEMTs) are now permitted to perform a broader set of procedures, the state is classifying more trucks as advanced life support (ALS) — effectively increasing ALS coverage without adding medics, though staff described this as a semantic change tied to updated state practice rather than a sudden increase in capabilities.
On capital needs, staff told the authority that the department currently has about $110,000 in fund 10 available and expects to need roughly another $100,000 to purchase a new ambulance. Staff said they will try to secure that funding in the current year’s budget so an order can be placed; delivery will depend on chassis and manufacturer availability. Members emphasized the timing risk: chassis production and supply-chain timing could affect when a funded ambulance can be delivered.
The board requested an update at a future meeting on ambulance purchase status, including procurement timeline and outstanding delays noted in prior meetings.
