JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Clark County health officials are trying to change their public safety plan to easily allow for more agencies to transport people to the hospital. They're trying to expedite the process because the current EMS provider, New Chapel EMS, is experiencing staff shortages.
"If they don't have the resources, then we need to look at alternative ways of getting units in here to help cover," Clark County Health Officer Dr. Eric Yazel said.
Average EMS response times have been fluctuating this spring and summer, but the June numbers are within the acceptable range. The average response time in April was 10 minutes and 36 seconds, in May it jumped to nearly 12 minutes, and in June it was back down to 10 minutes and 31 seconds. Yazel said the goal is to be near or below 10 minutes.
"The lower we get it the better, but that's not the 'end all be all' on determining quality and responses and things like that," Yazel said.
On June 5, Yazel posted on the Clark County Health Department Facebook page, acknowledging that New Chapel was going through staff shortages, and saying other agencies like Tri-Township Fire in Sellersburg were taking some of the run volume.
New Chapel lost 10 employees on May 31 when they chose to join an up-start department called New Albany Township Fire Rescue that took their contract.
While Yazel said the response times are acceptable, he worries that New Chapel employees are working a lot of overtime right now, and it is not sustainable. Written records from Clark County 911 dispatchers recently obtained by FOCUS show many other people are worried about the state of New Chapel.
Any time something goes wrong on an EMS run, or there is a delay worth telling a supervisor, the employees are supposed to fill out a "jot form". Yazel said there is no concrete rule on when a jot form needs to be filled out, it's often a "gut feeling" that a higher-up should be alerted.
FOCUS looked at 70 jot forms filled out between April 1 and June 10 and found many 911 dispatchers calling for help or angry at New Chapel.
On May 28, there was a call for an 89-year-old woman who had possibly fainted and was having stomach pain. The call was off of Grant Line Road near Sellersburg, very close to the Floyd County border. It took New Chapel 37 minutes to get to the address.
"I understand it is not New Chapel's fault as to why they do not have units responding, however, it is starting to get very dangerous because our county does not have enough workers for ambulances," a 911 dispatcher wrote after the call.
On May 29, New Chapel had to respond to an overturned vehicle accident on Highway 31. In the jot form of the run, the dispatcher noted there were only two other EMS runs in the county at the time. Clark County 911 asked New Chapel how far away the unit was and New Chapel "could not advise which ambulance was en route."
The jot form doesn't say how long it took New Chapel to get there, but after the run was over, New Chapel's dispatchers explained there was a communication error because no one was manning their dispatch center. The dispatchers had to go out on a run due to staff shortages.
"I've never had that happen before in our county—that I know of at least," Yazel said about the incident.
New Chapel did not make anyone available to interview for this story. In an emailed statement, they said it's important to put the jot forms into context of the total amount of EMS runs during this time.
Between April 1 and June 10, there were 3,918 total EMS runs, an average of 53 per day. There were 70 jot forms during that time, which means 98.3% of runs didn't have a jot form, and assumedly the run went smoothly.
"The data shows the overwhelming majority of ambulance calls completed by New Chapel EMS have not had significant issues," a spokesperson said in-part. "[Even so,] we will always strive to do better."
The agency told WHAS11 it is spending $80,000 to get 12 new ToughBook laptops that will go in ambulances and quick response vehicles. The money will also cover attachments and other equipment necessary for the laptops to function in the field. This will allow 911 dispatchers to more accurately see the units in the field.
“This is a major step forward for us to show the community that we are serious about changing the way this organization works to serve,” New Chapel CEO Matt Owen said in a press release about the laptops.
Yazel said the transparency with New Chapel has gotten a lot better since Jamey Noel was removed. Noel, the former Clark County Sheriff, is facing 31 felonies for allegedly embezzling $3.4 million from the organization since 2018.
"They're scrambling trying to right a ship that's really had some obvious struggles over the last few months," Yazel said.
Yazel and the EMS Board in Clark County are now seriously trying to change their Public Safety Plan to allow for smaller agencies to transport people to the hospital. The way the plan is currently written, only an agency with a large amount of ambulances (roughly 5) is allowed to be the primary EMS provider for the county.
Tri-Township and New Washington Fire are able to transport people on a small scale, but they need to have a conversation with New Chapel before doing so.
"Mutual aid typically should just be if there's an unexpected sudden influx of runs. It's getting utilized more than the true spirit of mutual aid," Yazel said.
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