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Madison County reports: EMS calls surge and major road projects underway
Summary
County EMS reported a sharp rise in call volume; Secondary Roads reviewed ongoing capital projects including a $1.7M bridge replacement, a $4M resurfacing, fuel system replacement, and day‑labor drainage work, with repair triage after recent heavy rains.
Madison County’s EMS and Secondary Roads leaders briefed the Board of Supervisors on July 22 about rising service demand and a slate of infrastructure projects.
Brady Plummer, Madison County EMS Director, said the service fielded 159 calls last month, up from an average of roughly 104–107 calls per month last year. Plummer said the service has added event coverage for large festivals, conducted naloxone training under a state grant and staffed temporary ambulances during peak events.
Mike Hackett, the county’s Secondary Roads engineer, delivered a broad project update. He said the Pitzer Road bridge replacement (1700 block of Pitzer Road) is a complete replacement project estimated at about $1,700,000 funded with federal bridge replacement funds and some state funds. The Cummings Road resurfacing is a let project estimated at approximately $4,000,000 for a 4‑inch asphalt overlay and base patching; Hackett said the county hopes to begin phases of the work this fall and that traffic controls will include pilot cars and flaggers.
Hackett also described replacement of an aging fuel system (two fiberglass tanks decades old), which will increase diesel and gasoline capacity with a new configuration to better support winter fuel blending and operations. He emphasized ongoing day‑labor projects that restore drainable road crowns and shoulders at lower cost than full reconstruction and noted the strain heavy rains have put on county roads: triage and temporary repairs will continue for months.
Board members asked about hiring, funding limits, and whether residents could assist with sign/brush clearing. Hackett said the county receives a majority of road funding through the road‑use tax (fuel and license fees) and about one third from property tax allocations to secondary roads, and that heavy projects require let processes and federal/state coordination.
The supervisors recorded several road‑closure and culvert replacement resolutions on the consent calendar and approved day‑labor allocations and staffing changes in the Secondary Roads department.
