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Maury County EMS reports increased call volume, average response just under 10 minutes and $3 million year-to-date loss
Summary
The county EMS presented first-quarter data showing 4,138 calls, an average response time just under 10 minutes (goal <8), staffing vacancies and a fiscal loss trending over $3 million after subsidy; officials discussed dispatch consolidation options.
Maury County EMS reported 4,138 calls in the first quarter and an average emergency response time just under 10 minutes — short of the department goal of under eight minutes.
The EMS presenter said crews operated eight units 24/7 from five stations and employ 48 full-time clinical staff and 23 PRN staff; the department has one EMT and four paramedic openings and eight dispatch positions with two vacancies. Of the quarter calls, 178 required transfer to higher-level care and 2,589 patients were treated locally.
The average response-time goal is under eight minutes; EMS met that target approximately 44% of the time. The presenter noted national comparisons: urban averages near nine minutes and rural averages around 14 minutes, and said rural zip-code response times in portions of the county were higher — some approaching 20 minutes in outlying areas. ZIP-level maps shown to commissioners indicated Columbia proper averaged under nine minutes, Mount Pleasant under 11 and Spring Hill under 14.
Operational updates included a delivered advanced life support ambulance and another unit in build, plans to rotate new trucks into service and continued participation in community events such as Mule Day and hurricane/storm responses. EMS also began a parking shuttle plan for 200 employees during hospital parking construction.
On finance, presenters said they will provide a reconciled financial report at the next Health & Environment meeting; current figures show a loss trending about $3,000,000 after subsidy for the fiscal year. Commissioners asked whether combining ambulance dispatch with the county’s 9-1-1 system could reduce response delays; EMS said discussions are ongoing with neighboring dispatch centers and that consolidating dispatch could shave one to two minutes off response time in some cases.
Commissioners asked for further station-location studies and for a more detailed cost study on staffing and equipment needed to lower average response times.
