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Edgefield EMS director warns of aging ambulances and limited spare equipment; asks council for support
Summary
EMS director Garrett Lynn told council the service is currently fully staffed but faces retention pressures and aging equipment: frontline ambulances exceed 100,000 miles, spare vehicles exceed 330,000 miles, there are only three cardiac monitors and three Lucas CPR devices, and staff will return next month with a comprehensive proposal for capital and operations.
Garrett Lynn, introduced to council as Edgefield County’s EMS director, gave a detailed presentation on the county’s prehospital emergency medical services and asked for council support in addressing aging vehicles, equipment shortages and facility constraints.
Lynn said the service is currently fully staffed but warned retention and recruitment pressures exist because hospitals and other employers are hiring paramedics and offering higher pay. He said Edgefield operates two ambulances from Edgefield plus one quick-response vehicle (QRV), and one ambulance at Merriweather, averaging about 3,700 calls a year and seeing roughly 2% growth in call volume year over year.
On fleet condition, Lynn said frontline ambulances each exceed 100,000 miles (one surpassing 240,000 miles) and spare ambulances exceed 330,000 miles, creating reliability concerns. A remount (a major repair and chassis replacement) arrived last week; Lynn said a new ambulance ordered about 2½ years ago is expected to arrive in March 2025 after long lead times.
Lynn described key ALS equipment shortfalls: six power cots (each about 12 years old), only three cardiac monitors (critical for diagnosing and treating cardiac patients) and only three Lucas mechanical CPR devices. He said a failure or simultaneous demand for the limited monitors or Lucas devices could leave crews without critical diagnostic or resuscitation tools until replacements arrive. Mutual-aid agreements with Saluda and McCormick counties provide some backup on multiple simultaneous calls.
Lynn also showed the council photos of cramped station bays, converted bedrooms used for staff, and limited storage for supplies. He said the Merriweather substation shares space with the fire department and cannot store a spare ambulance there.
Council members asked clarifying questions about spares, training space and the possibility of using the new law enforcement center for training; Lynn said he hopes the sheriff’s office will allow shared use but that EMS would prefer its own training facility. Council thanked Lynn and the administrator said staff and the director are preparing a comprehensive proposal to bring next month for decision-making.
Next steps: Lynn and county staff said they will return next month with a comprehensive proposal outlining capital and operational options for ambulances, equipment redundancy and facility improvements.
