Giles County hears urgent pleas from EMS staff; commission narrows options for ambulance facility

Giles County residents and emergency medical services employees urged county commissioners to improve pay, staffing and facilities during a long public comment period, saying morale and retention are suffering and station conditions are inadequate.

Cheryl Allberry, a nurse and former first responder, told the commission EMS had lost three workers to Marshall County and described current staffing shortages: "They need six more bodies to be fully staffed," she said, and warned the county was falling behind neighboring counties on pay. EMS employees who spoke at an open house and in public comment described sleeping arrangements they called unsafe and equipment and ambulances left exposed to weather.

Several EMS employees described the operational impact. "The average career of a paramedic is 3 to 5 years," said Randy, who identified himself as working with Giles EMS. "We're running out of room. We've got equipment that costs a lot of money sitting outside." Daniel Patterson, an EMS employee since 2020, said staff perform training beyond state requirements and asked commissioners to support employees with better pay and resources.

On the business side of the meeting the commission debated a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Butler that would remove the current EMS building as an option for renovation and focus the county's efforts on either building a new facility or renovating a different site. Butler said two firms had examined the current building and concluded renovation was not feasible and recommended the county stop revisiting the existing building and concentrate on a new site.

Commissioners debated multiple concerns, including the project's rising cost estimates, city setback and drainage rules if expansion took place at the current site, and where ambulances and personnel would be housed during any reconstruction. Supporters said the county had been trying to deliver a new facility for two decades and needed to break the cycle of repeated reconsideration; opponents said the current building might still be a viable near-term relief option and cautioned against closing all options.

After debate the commission called the question and voted to adopt the resolution that removes the current EMS building as a candidate for renovation and narrows the county''s focus to building new or renovating another site. The resolution passed on a recorded vote of 15 ayes and 5 nays. Commissioners directed staff to continue work on locating and designing a new facility and to consider interim fixes for personnel housing and equipment storage.

Several commissioners and medical staff urged simultaneous action on pay and staffing. Commissioners noted capital pressures elsewhere in the county budget and said more detailed cost estimates would be required before committing to a specific site or design.

The public was invited to an EMS open house and to attend a Thursday meeting for further discussion; commissioners asked staff to return with more detailed cost comparisons, a proposed build site timeline and an implementation plan for short-term repairs.