Pelham Fire Department cuts response times in a half with new ambulances in just 22 days of service
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Updated: 1:38 PM CST Jan 24, 2025
THANKS FOR JOINING US AT 6:00. I鈥橫 GUY RAWLINGS I鈥橫 SHERI FALK. AMBULANCES ARE IN HIGH DEMAND, BUT BECAUSE OF MONEY AND STAFFING, MANY COUNTIES AND TOWNS HAVE HAD TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS. THAT鈥橲 NOT THE CASE IN PELHAM. THE CITY RECENTLY GOT THREE NEW AMBULANCES, AND AS 米兰体育 13, AARON LLEWELLYN FOUND OUT, THEY鈥橰E ALREADY MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE. OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE AN AMBULANCE ON THE SCENE WITHIN 15 MINUTES. 90% OF THE TIME, WE WANT TO HAVE OUR AVERAGES AROUND 10 TO 12 MINUTES OF ARRIVING ON THE SCENE. IN THIS NEW AMBULANCE IS ONE OF THREE HELPING THE PELHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. WE HAVE TAKEN THE SYSTEM AND MADE IT JUST WAY MORE ROBUST THAN IT WAS. YOU KNOW, EVEN A MONTH AGO. THE AMBULANCES HAVE ONLY BEEN IN SERVICE SINCE JANUARY 1ST, AND IN JUST 22 DAYS, THE DEPARTMENT CUT ITS RESPONSE TIME ON 75 TRANSPORTS FROM 30 MINUTES TO 15. IT鈥橲 GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, VERY BENEFICIAL FOR OUR CITIZENS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WE LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT鈥橲 GOING TO BRING, YOU KNOW, TO TO REALLY SERVING AND HELPING OUR CITIZENS BETTER. THE AMBULANCES ARE EQUIPPED WITH NEW STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY LIKE ULTRASOUNDS AND VENTILATORS. WE CAN WE CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS ON THE SCENE. A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, TREATMENT ON THE SCENE TO REALLY IMPROVE THEIR SITUATION. BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO GET THEM TO THE HOSPITAL BEFORE GETTING THE AMBULANCES. FIRE CHIEF MIKE REED SAYS THE DEPARTMENT HAD TO RELY ON TRANSPORTS FROM CLANTON OR ADAMSVILLE. THAT WILL GIVE, YOU KNOW, THE THIRD PARTY AMBULANCE SERVICES, THE ABILITY TO FOCUS ON THOSE AREAS. AND WE HOPE THAT THAT鈥橲 THE YOU KNOW, THAT鈥橲 THE CASE. REED SAYS HE AND HIS STAFF KNOW RURAL MUTUAL AID SERVICES RELY ON THOSE UNITS, ESPECIALLY WITH MORE EXTENDED RESPONSE TIMES, SOMETIMES TAKING MORE THAN AN HOUR TO GET TO PATIENTS. HE FEELS HAVING THEIR OWN SYSTEM IS A WIN WIN FOR EVERYONE. THAT REALLY HELPS US TO GET OUR PATIENTS TO THE HOSPITAL QUICKER SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, GET THAT, YOU KNOW, FURTHER CARE. NOW, WHEN THOSE WHO NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION HEAR THIS SOUND, THEY鈥橪L KNOW HELP IS NEAR.
Pelham Fire Department cuts response times in a half with new ambulances in just 22 days of service
![米兰体育 logo]()
Updated: 1:38 PM CST Jan 24, 2025
The Pelham Fire Department is rolling out new ambulances to serve the community, and it's already seeing results in cutting down response times.Fire Chief Mike Reid told 米兰体育 13 that before the department got the two full-time ambulances, their response time was 30 minutes. That was when they were using a third-party ambulance service. Now, they've cut that number in half in just 22 days of service.The ambulances rolled out on Jan. 1, and this is the first time city-owned ambulances have been used in the city. Shelby County gave the department three ambulances 鈥� two of which run full-time and another that runs as a backup.In the past, the department used a mutual aid system and ambulances had to come from as far as Clanton and Adamsville. Reid said the department is already seeing a difference the ambulance units are making in servicing the community more efficiently.鈥淲e had a major wreck on the interstate last week that both of our departments responded to 鈥� us and Alabaster,鈥� Reid said. 鈥淲e had five agencies on the scene within 20 or so minutes, which is really incredible. We had our first four ambulances on the scene within that 15-minute mark, which is what we're looking for.鈥�>> 米兰体育 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for freeReid said the department will look at the numbers and decide if there's a need to use the third ambulance full-time, but that decision won't come for another year or year and a half.
PELHAM, Ala. — The Pelham Fire Department is rolling out new ambulances to serve the community, and it's already seeing results in cutting down response times.
Fire Chief Mike Reid told 米兰体育 13 that before the department got the two full-time ambulances, their response time was 30 minutes. That was when they were using a third-party ambulance service. Now, they've cut that number in half in just 22 days of service.
The ambulances rolled out on Jan. 1, and this is the first time city-owned ambulances have been used in the city. Shelby County gave the department three ambulances 鈥� two of which run full-time and another that runs as a backup.
In the past, the department used a mutual aid system and ambulances had to come from as far as Clanton and Adamsville. Reid said the department is already seeing a difference the ambulance units are making in servicing the community more efficiently.
鈥淲e had a major wreck on the interstate last week that both of our departments responded to 鈥� us and Alabaster,鈥� Reid said. 鈥淲e had five agencies on the scene within 20 or so minutes, which is really incredible. We had our first four ambulances on the scene within that 15-minute mark, which is what we're looking for.鈥�
>> 米兰体育 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for free
Reid said the department will look at the numbers and decide if there's a need to use the third ambulance full-time, but that decision won't come for another year or year and a half.
