MARTINSVILLE, Va. – UPDATE
Martinsville City Council members have voted to look at the budget impact having part time firefighters operate a third ambulance during the day would have.
The fire department tested out this idea from October through December of last year as a way to potentially cover EMS calls after the city's backup provider closed in September.
Martinsville Fire Chief Ted Anderson said that, although no money was alocated to the department Tuesday night, knowing what council wants to do is a relief.
"We are excited that we'd be able to provide better coverage for our citizens of Martinsville," Anderson said.
Council members will look at the budget impact at their next meeting and then decide how to move forward.
Until money is allocated to the fire department to staff a third ambulance, the department will continue to only run two.
That means numerous calls will have to be responded to by an outside ageny, primarily the Henry County Department of Public Safety, because two ambulances is not enough to cover all of teh calls athat come in.
As of Tuesday night, Anderson said, the department had already had 13 calls in 2019 -- roughly four a week -- that the department didn't have the resources to respond to.
ORIGINAL STORY
On Tuesday night, how Martinsville City Council members want to handle the city's EMS calls could become clearer.
At Tuesday night's council, Martinsville Fire Chief Ted Anderson will give council members an update on the use of the fire department's third ambulance.
The third ambulance is usually a backup, but was put into service in October to help cover calls since the city's backup EMS provider went out of business.
The fire chief will present council members with five options.
"Depending on what they come back with, then we'll start scheduling based upon that plan," Anderson said. "Regardless, we're going to provide our citizens with the optimum care, the optimum support."
The city council meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.