By Gary Nelson
Crossville Chronicle
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Tenn. — Cumberland County’s Emergency Services Committee met Tuesday evening and discussed the potential effects of a city of Crossville-operated ambulance service.
Tom Isham, 2nd District commissioner and committee chairman, asked how it would affect the county’s Emergency Medical Services Department.
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Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster and Chris Miller, EMS director, both answered.
Foster said, “The resources (ambulances) in the city will be pushed out … One concern is response time in the city. We have four ambulances in there during the day, or one gets called in. If the city starts this service, they won’t have the luxury to call in another ambulance. It will increase response time. Current response time is around seven minutes and 13 or 14 seconds. It’s not going to be matched.”
Miller said 40-50% of its calls are in the city.
Losing that would be detrimental to revenues, Foster said.
“We’re not sure what we would do with the ambulances. We may have to eliminate trucks or increase tax pennies to keep them,” Foster said.
Jerry Cooper, 7th District commissioner, asked about medical transports in the city and if a city ambulance service would cover those instead of the county.
“I’ve heard they [the city] just want to cover 911 calls from what I understand,” Miller said.
“So there have been no protocols discussed with the city?” Colleen Mall, 9th District commissioner, asked.
“No, not with anybody. Dr. Wojick [Cumberland County Medical director] made efforts to talk with them but hasn’t gotten anywhere. We’ve invited them [city of Crossville firefighters] to all of the trainings we have offered. That’s over 300 hours of training. They have only come to a couple,” Miller said.
Cooper asked if the county had to approve a city-operated ambulance service.
“No, not for a municipality. The county would have to approve a private company,” Foster said.
Sue York, 1st District commissioner, asked if either had heard anything from the city.
Miller said no.
Foster said he has had some casual conversations with the city of Crossville Mayor RJ Crawford since the county approved a resolution opposing a city-operated ambulance service in Crossville.
“He has significant concerns about the funding, and so do I. In the worst case, we would have to cut staff and raise taxes to maintain our EMS department. The county can’t afford to keep city ambulances sitting in town. We would have to find the revenue to make that happen. The county would be losing resources but raising costs,” Foster said.
Cumberland County Finance Director Jennifer Turner provided the committee with financial figures from the past four years from the county’s EMS department.
• In fiscal year 2021-22, EMS revenue was $4.5 million. Expenditures were $4.9 million, capital expenses such as equipment and supply purchases were $637,000 and total expenses were $5.5 million, leaving the county at a loss of $1,038,102.
• In fiscal year 2022-23 EMS, revenue was $4.3 million. Expenditures were $5.9 million, capital expenses were $308,000 and total expenses were $6.2 million, leaving the county at a loss of $1.8 million.
• In fiscal year 2023-24, EMS revenue was $4.6 million. Expenditures were $5.9 million, capital expenses were $555,300 and total expenses were $6.4 million, leaving the county at a loss of $1.8 million.
• In fiscal year 2024-25, EMS revenue was $5.4 million. Expenditures were $6.9 million, capital expenses were $616,000 and total expenses were $7.56 million, leaving the county at a loss of $2.2 million.
“The level of your commitment is greatly appreciated. You guys have funded the best equipment and training. We don’t have to do all the training we do. We do over 300 hours of training. The requirement is way below that, but I don’t want to do the minimum,” Miller said.
“I am extremely proud of our EMS department. You all have funded it. It’s one of the best,” Foster said.
Karen Shanks, 3rd District commissioner, asked, “Is there any way to get them [the city] to talk?”
“Since the resolution passed, Crawford and I have talked,” Foster said.
One commissioner asked if they were concerned about the city taking county EMS department employees.
“I don’t think any one of them would leave for that. They are making pretty good money now and benefits,” Miller said.
Foster said he did not think that would be an issue, either.
Later in the meeting, Cumberland County E-911 Emergency Management District Operations Director, TJ Williams, reported that Cumberland County’s E-911 district had not been contacted by anyone from the city of Crossville regarding the establishment of a city-operated ambulance service.
“They have had zero conversation with us. We’re in the same boat as the county,” Williams said.
He expressed concerns about how dispatch would operate with both a city and county ambulance service.
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