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EMS director: Winter Storm Fern strained resources but no patient went without care; county staff commended
Summary
Robertson County EMS ran 336 calls (including 34 crashes) during Winter Storm Fern; director said extra staffing and 4x4 ambulances prevented service gaps and urged discussion of a new emergency operations center and additional ambulances.
Robertson County EMS Director Brent Dyer told the commission the department handled 336 calls between Jan. 25 and Jan. 31 during winter storm conditions, including 34 motor-vehicle crashes, and that no patient who needed services was left without aid. The events prompted temporary staffing changes, use of additional supervisors and creative logistics to ensure coverage when ambulances were scarce.
Dyer said preparedness steps — checking vehicle equipment, scheduling additional crews, and moving supplies to shelters — helped maintain response capability. He noted the system still ran short of ambulances at times and said he plans to request two ambulances in the FY2026-27 budget while proposing a consolidated emergency operations center/EMS headquarters to provide vehicle storage, extra staffing space and supply staging.
Dyer also reported delivery of 10 automatic external defibrillators this budget year and distribution of portable suction units to county fire departments. The director credited interdepartmental cooperation for preventing serious service failures during the storm.
Why it matters: prolonged severe weather tests county emergency services and reveals staffing and facility capacity issues. The director’s recommendations — added ambulance purchases and a new operations facility — will be budget items and facility‑planning issues for the commission.
Vote/action: this was a report item; no vote was required. Director Dyer asked the commission to consider facility and fleet options in future budgets.
