Houston County's population is growing. Are EMS resources keeping up?
We reviewed data from nearly 2,000 EMS calls to find out
It's no secret: Houston County's population is booming.
In many ways, the growth has been a boon for the county.
But growth also has consequences, as public infrastructure often struggles to keep pace
With lots of the expansion happening in the county's southern tip, does the county have enough ambulances to serve them?
'It scared me to death'
"I thought I was gonna die, I really did," said Anna Franklin.
She's 74 years old and says she takes blood-thinning medication.
When her nose started bleeding one day earlier this year, it wouldn't stop.
"I mean, it wasn't just a little bit of drip," she said. "It was pouring out of my nose."
Marvin, her 82-year-old husband, called 911.
"I said, 'Please, get out here as quick as you can,'" he said. "But I was more afraid back in December when she had the high blood pressure."
They dialed 911 that time, too.
"Leg pain was causing my blood pressure to shoot way up high, like in the 190s, and it scared me to death," said Anna.
"She was conscious but she was almost out of it," her husband added.
Whether those medical situations were actually life-threatening isn't clear.
The couple's fear while waiting for help, though, is undeniable.
They estimate it took an ambulance about 20 minutes to respond to the bloody nose call.
For the December case, according to 911 dispatch logs obtained by WMAZ in an open records request, it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at their rural Perry home.
Both are quick to say they are generally happy with their care and they understand the wait time given where they live.
However, a review of 911 dispatch data shows that others in Perry have also waited for treatment.
Are there enough ambulances in Houston County to serve the entire population?
WMAZ reviewed 911 dispatch data from nearly 2,000 emergency calls in 2019.
It represents three different weeks of EMS response data during the year: one from July, one from September, and one from December.
Ambulances responded to the vast majority of those calls in 15 minutes or less, and the vast majority of calls that did take longer than 15 minutes to get to were for less urgent cases, like people complaining of general illness.
But of the roughly 300 responses that took longer than 15 minutes, one thing stood out: nearly 25% happened in Perry.
The city only makes up about 11% of Houston County's population, so those slower responses happened more than twice as often as you'd expect.
"It frustrates me, the fact that it's been going on as long as it has," said Perry Fire Department Battalion Chief Kirk Crumpton.
Since September 2015, Perry Fire Department leaders have kept an internal document listing cases where Houston Healthcare Ambulances were delayed or entirely unavailable to respond to Perry emergency calls.
WMAZ obtained a copy of the list through an open records request.
The document lists 85 delays or outright ambulance shortages over that time period.
The list appears to have been kept sporadically, and Perry Fire Department Chief Lee Parker estimates the actual figure could be higher.
"Probably twice as many," he guessed.
Many entries on that list, like on the dispatch logs we reviewed, are for less-urgent calls, but Perry Fire Chief Lee Parker says ambulance delays, regardless of the type of call, can tie up his firefighters who frequently respond to medical calls just like Houston Healthcare EMS staff does.
Those firefighters are required to stay on the scene until EMS arrives or the patient signs a waiver releasing them.
"It worries me a good bit that, you know, we'll be out there on a call that, you know, we're waiting on this ambulance, and you know, we may need to be somewhere else that has a higher priority," said Parker. "Whether it be a structure fire, a car accident, or whatever the case may be."
He noted that situation hasn't yet occurred, but the possibility weighs on him.
Houston Healthcare EMS Director David Borghelli says he's spoken with Parker and the other county fire chiefs about the issue.
"We prioritize the severity of the emergency and send that ambulance to the one that's going to be the patient that has a life-threatening condition," he said.
Borghelli also said his agency calls other nearby EMS agencies for help in times of heavy call volume.
He added that Houston Healthcare tries to use medical helicopters when an emergency warrants it.
Still, rapid population growth in Houston County, especially in its southern areas like Perry, raises the question: are there enough ambulances in Houston County to serve the entire population?
We asked Chief Parker.
"That's a good question," he responded. "It may be time to reanalyze that to see if there really is enough."
In Bibb County, Medical Center, Navicent Health EMS Director Raymond Brown says two agencies--Navicent and Community Ambulance--share EMS responsibilities for emergency calls.
"We each have our designated areas of the county that we're responsible for," said Brown.
They cover Bibb County, as well as parts of Twiggs and Jones counties.
According to Brown and a spokesperson for Community Ambulance, on the least staffed days, the two agencies combined have a minimum of 11 EMS units in service.
At maximum staffing, the two agencies can combine for 25 active EMS units.
In Houston County, Houston Healthcare EMS is the sole emergency ambulance provider.
They also only have to provide coverage for one county, unlike the two Bibb-based agencies that have responsibilities extending into neighboring counties.
The populations of Bibb and Houston Counties is almost identical.
However, Houston Healthcare uses fewer units.
Borghelli says minimum staffing there is six units in service and maximum is ten.
Which raises the question once more: are there enough EMS units in Houston County?
We asked him.
"Well, and that's, you know, and that's what we look at, you know, constantly," responded Borghelli.
"I've been here for 15 years," he continued. "We have increased the number of ambulances, the number of staffed ambulances, several times over those 15 years including relatively recently and based on our analysis if necessary we will add more."
We asked: is Houston Healthcare at a place now where they'd like to add more units?
"We are conducting analysis and will determine that," he responded.
Borghelli says he knows the county's growth is a challenge. It's part of the reason Houston Healthcare EMS is partnering with Houston County Fire Department to build a new EMS center on Lake Joy Road, scheduled to open this spring.
"That'll just add additional resources and shorter response times into the City of Perry," he said.
Living on the far end of Perry, Marvin Franklin can't wait.
"If I really needed somebody, they could get here in 5 minutes instead of 20," he said." "It would be a lot better and probably might even could save a life."
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