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Ga. FD’s ambulance service suspended for a year

Augusta’s legal department has 30 days to develop a detailed plan for the city’s EMS response after city commissioners voted to halt the fire department’s service

By Laura French

AUGUSTA, Ga. — A Georgia city has suspended its fire department’s ambulance service following an independent study that unveiled a number of employee complaints about how the service was being run.

The Augusta Commission initially considered suspending Fire Chief Chris James, but instead voted to suspend the ambulance service for a year, according to WRDW.

The city’s legal department will now have 30 days to develop a detailed plan for delivering emergency medical services without the fire department’s ambulances on the road. Private provider Gold Cross EMS will still be available to conduct transports in the city.

The independent study conducted by consulting firm McGrant found a range of problems including a “nonexistent” chain of command, ignored or inconsistent policies and extremely low morale, The August Chronicle reported last month. Employees also stated that staff were often assigned to ambulances without sufficient training.

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