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LOCAL, LATE BREAKING �������� 13 NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. IT’S A PROBLEM HERE IN ALABAMA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AT SIX. I’M SHERI FALK I’M GUY RAWLINGS. FOR MONTHS WE’VE TOLD YOU ABOUT PROBLEMS IN PICKENS COUNTY. NOW DOWN TO JUST ONE AMBULANCE. WELL, TODAY, ANOTHER STEP TOWARD THE COUNTY STARTING ITS OWN SERVICE. �������� 13 S BRYCE OSELEN SPENT THE DAY THERE AND SHOWS US THE DONATION THAT HE SAYS WILL HELP SAVE LIVES. YES, IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. GETTING EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE IN A RURAL COMMUNITY CAN BE A STRUGGLE. PEOPLE HAVE DIED RIGHT HERE ON THESE STREETS, RIGHT HERE WHERE WE’RE STANDING. SO A MINIMUM OF THREE THAT I KNOW OF PERSONALLY. BUT I’VE HEARD THERE WAS MORE. THE HOSPITAL ALREADY CLOSED, AND IN NOVEMBER, THE COUNTY’S ONLY AMBULANCE SERVICE WENT DOWN JUST TO ONE UNIT. THE RESPONSE TIMES BEING ONLY ONE TRUCK, IF THERE’S MULTIPLE CALLS, HAS TO WAIT ON EITHER ANOTHER, ANOTHER COUNTY TO SEND A TRUCK TO HELP, OR HAS TO WAIT ON THAT TRUCK TO GET BACK FROM THE HOSPITAL. BUT THURSDAY, GOOD NEWS. THE ALABAMA FIRE COLLEGE IS SHARING ITS GOOD FORTUNE AFTER GETTING NEARLY $300,000 TO BUY A NEW AMBULANCE, THE COLLEGE DECIDED TO DONATE ITS OLD ONE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT PICKENS COUNTY IS GOING TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN AMBULANCE COMPANY, AND THIS WILL HELP SUPPLEMENT THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE OF TRANSPORT. THE LIFE SAVING UNIT IS EXPECTED TO BE UP AND RUNNING WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND WHILE IT WILL HELP RESIDENTS SAY IT’S NOT ENOUGH. RIGHT NOW WE NEED THAT EMERGENCY ROOM TO BE READY TO BE ACTED ON AS WELL AS THAT AMBULANCE. IT’S JUST AS IMPORTANT. MATTER OF FACT, I THINK IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TAKE PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET THAT, YOU KNOW, GET IN THAT AMBULANCE. THE E.R. AT PICKENS COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER CLOSED IN 2020. COUNTY LEADERS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TO RENOVATE AND REOPEN