Copyright 2006 The Daily Oklahoman
By JOSH RABE
The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK)
Some Oklahoma communities are having a hard time keeping volunteer ambulance services staffed, according to local officials and a state report on ambulance funding.
In Garber, the ambulance service was forced to close about eight months ago because it did not have enough volunteers to run the service full time, said Hal Long, a volunteer and former administrator who is trying to revive the ambulance service. The town now relies on Life EMS in Enid, which is at least a 15 minute drive from Garber.
During an emergency, the lost time can mean the difference between life and death, Long said.
“My dad lived probably five years longer because we had ambulance service in Garber,” Long said.
He is trying to find another certified volunteer who can work a day shift to start the service again, but finding someone willing to work full time with no pay is difficult.
In Wakita, the shutdown of the ambulance service meant a similar delay in response time, said Dianna Coltharp, an administrator at Community Health Center.
“Before it was five minutes and now it is a little longer, but we manage,” Coltharp said.
The nearest emergency departments are in Enid and Caldwell, Kan.
Not all communities have suffered when ambulance companies closed.
The closure of Wynnewood’s city ambulance service several years ago actually may have helped the town, Mayor John Warren said.
The city struck a deal with the ambulance service in nearby Pauls Valley and voluntarily did away with its own service, Warren said. He said the consolidation has saved the city money but hasn’t affected the level of service.