September 22, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 22, 2015
For more information,
Contact: Amanda Shell Jennings
Moxley Carmichael
(865) 255-0661
Shoals Ambulance provides advanced dispatch technology
The Franklin County Commission unanimously renewed its exclusive ambulance provider contract with Shoals Ambulance at a specially called meeting in September after a successful first year of service by the company.
Under the one-year contract, Shoals Ambulance will again serve as the sole provider within the county with the exception of the Town of Phil Campbell, which will continue to be served by the Phil Campbell Rescue Squad.
Shoals Ambulance will provide two advanced life support ambulances 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Franklin County – one each at permanent stations in Russellville and Red Bay. An additional ambulance will be placed in the county for 12 hours during peak daytime hours. An additional ambulance will be available for the 12-hour nighttime shift with an on-call crew ready to staff the truck as needed. The new contract was developed in cooperation with the EMS Committee and unanimously approved by the Franklin County Commission.
“Our priority at Shoals Ambulance is always to provide top quality patient care to everyone we serve,” said Blake Hargett, operations supervisor for Shoals Ambulance Operations. “Our exceptional team of EMTs and paramedics truly care about serving their friends and neighbors. We’re committed to continuing to invest in the community, and we’re pleased to be able to offer new services and technology in the next contract period that will continue to raise the bar of emergency medical response in Franklin County.”
Shoals Ambulance recently invested in new technology for the Franklin County E-911 dispatch center that allows dispatchers to view the exact GPS location of every on-duty Shoals Ambulance vehicle in real-time on an interactive map. With this technology, dispatchers know the status and location of every ambulance in the system and can visually determine they are dispatching the closest available ambulance to the scene.
“The new dispatch technology is a very useful tool,” said Franklin County E-911 Coordinator Brandon James. “I can see where every ambulance in the system is located, the location of the calls and what crews are assigned without having to radio for the information. It makes my center better and more efficient.”
The ZOLL Navigator technology also provides turn-by-turn directions to paramedics and EMTs in the field and offers two-way electronic visual communication between dispatch and the ambulance. This technology reduces distracting radio chatter, increases the efficiency of the emergency dispatch and leads to a faster response, which can save lives.
This is the first time Franklin County has had access to this advanced dispatch technology, which was provided by Shoals Ambulance at no charge to the county.
About Shoals Ambulance
Shoals Ambulance has provided excellent medical transport services to communities in the state of Alabama since 2012. Shoals Ambulance is the exclusive E-911 ambulance provider for Lauderdale County and the City of Florence in North Alabama. Shoals Ambulance provides emergency and nonemergency transport options to Muscle Shoals, Bessemer and Birmingham, specializing in the highest level of comfort and patient safety. Shoals Ambulance staffs state-of-the-art ambulances with more than 80 highly trained, licensed EMTs and paramedics.
Shoals Ambulance is a regional branch of Priority Ambulance. For more information, visit www.shoalsambulance.com.
About Priority Ambulance
Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Priority Ambulance provides the highest level of clinical excellence in emergency and nonemergency medical care to the communities it serves. Throughout its national service area, more than 1,000 highly trained paramedics and EMTs staff more than 170 state-of-the-art ambulances with the latest medical equipment and technology.
Priority Ambulance provides emergency and nonemergency medical transport options to communities in Tennessee, Alabama, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Georgia. Operating as Priority Ambulance, the company serves Knox, Loudon and Blount counties in East Tennessee. Priority Ambulance operates as Kunkel Ambulance in Utica, New York; as Trans Am Ambulance in Olean, New York; as Shoals Ambulance in Alabama; as Seals Ambulance in Indiana; and as Central EMS in Georgia.
