Copyright 2006 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
By LAUREN D’AVOLIO
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Soon, Celina residents in dire need of medical care won’t have to summon paramedics from a neighboring city.
In October, a CareFlight ambulance used exclusively for Celina’s 3,700 residents will be dispatched from the fire station on North Louisiana Street.
The change will shave up to eight minutes off paramedics’ response times, said Jim Lewis, a Celina City Council member for five years.
“We had a couple instances where if it had been a grave injury, it would have created a real problem,” Mr. Lewis said, adding that there was no incident in which a quickened response would have saved a life. “It’s just a longer response time when you’re driving an extra eight miles between towns.”
The city has partnered with Prosper for the past four years, paying its neighbor’s emergency medical service close to $95,000 annually. Before that, Frisco fielded Celina’s 25 to 28 medically related 911 calls every month, Mr. Lewis said.
“They [Prosper and Frisco] did a great job, believe you me. But it’s just always better when you can have that ambulance closer,” Mr. Lewis said.
Mr. Lewis said it’s taxing for other cities to be responsible for Celina’s emergency medical services. Now, his city can stop leaning on more populous, surrounding communities, he said.
Celina has entered into a contract with CareFlight for more than $100,000, he said. Beginning in October, a minimum of one paramedic and one emergency medical technician will always be on call.
“It’s just such a significant part of good growth of a small town, is when they can provide safety for their residents,” Mr. Lewis said. “It makes the town more livable, people more open to move here, businesses more likely to move there. It’s just part of our continued effort to be more service-oriented.”
Martin Engelbert, Celina’s fire chief, said that while the town has two full-time, paid firefighters and 20 volunteers, having its own ambulance service will make a tremendous impact.
“That golden hour to get to that patient who needs care is lessened, and it’s just a great deal,” he said.
Billie Ray Huddleston has lived in Celina all of his 76 years. He recalls an incident about 15 years ago when his son, Charles, could have benefited from an ambulance in town.
Charles was attempting to fill a jug with water from a hose, Mr. Huddleston said. What came out instead was anhydrous ammonia - a caustic substance that permanently impaired Charles’ eyesight.
That night, an ambulance from Frisco raced the clock, taking up to 15 minutes to respond, Mr. Huddleston said. An ambulance coming from a few miles or blocks away could make a difference not just in accidents, but also in health emergencies like heart attacks or strokes, he said.
“They’d be there in just a matter of probably three to four minutes,” he said. “I don’t know that the final outcome would have been any different [for my son], but we could have gotten him to the hospital quicker.”