Posted by maestro61 (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 10:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ithink that there should be a ambulance service in every city,because if you have to drive 12to 15 miles`someone could die in that time frame

Posted by blissfullygreen (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We need Haynes back here. Their service was impeccable and they know every back road in this county. CARE Ambulance needs to close its doors and voluntarily move on. They can't hold a candle to Haynes. Haynes cares about every person in this community and showed that this year at Community Helpers day at Troy Elementary School. CARE was asked to come and share about health care and ambulance service but they "didn't have time" to do it. Haynes drove down from MONTGOMERY and did a great presentation for the kids. What kind of company just says NO to the citizens of the city/county they serve? All they CARE about is the financial benefits that a contract provides! Bring back Haynes!!

If you feel strongly about having Haynes return to Pike County, let your county commissioner's know it!

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

From personal experience I can tell you that time is of the essence. When someone calls 911 for help at 3am because a spouse is not breathing...and it takes 20 minutes for the ambulance to arrive when normally it is a 5 minute drive...and finally when it does arrive...the crew saunters to the back of the truck for equipment...jokes passing among the crew...rap music echoing in the background from the cab of the truck...the wife giving air and compressions and maintaining good color in her husband waiting for the crew to arrive...it is a MUST to have professional people that KNOW what they are doing.

The patient turns grey/blue because the crew cannot get a tube inserted for air...snaps 4 teeth to the roots trying to do this...a stream of blood shoots across the room from an IV insertion...what does that tell you?

Without further info from me...I can tell you now if I had a vote it would be for the CARE Ambulance Company to get the contract and ONLY CARE.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

One cannot judge an ambulance company just because they did not have the "time" to talk to school children on a particular day.

You must judge them by mainly performance and
professionalism.

Posted by inotherwords (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Please do not post untruths here......4 teeth were not broken to the roots.....and the blood will not shoot across a room......do not make things worse than they already are......Care ambulance people could care less about what goes on here......

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 12:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For "inotherwords"

This was MY experience with my own husband and I was there.

The nurses in the hsopital in Montgomery told me about his teeth that were NOT snapped to the roots before this but done indeed by ineffective in-tubing and very recently done. And the blood DID stream across the room and onto the carpet. So do not tell me I am not telling the truth. There also happened to be a neighbor who I called immediately to help who is a doctor that witnessed everything. When the crew came he backed off as he was supposed to do but stood watching gritting his teeth in disgust.

So unless you were there too which you were not...do NOT tell me I am being untruthful.

As God is my witness this is what happened.

Posted by inotherwords (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

a doctor backed off???????

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Yes as he should do. They will not interfere with care given in that situation...in a non professional evironment...they allow those that need to perform their duties to do so. You apparently are unfamiliar with medical procedures...and professional ethics. And for that I do not hold that against you.

There would be only one reason why I commented on this entire thing...and that is for this NOT to happen to anyone else.

Posted by oldcampsite (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The question is "Which one will agree to have a dispatch location IN PIKE COUNTY" The other can be worked out later.

Posted by turtle (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

When Haynes was in Pike County all anyone did was complain about Haynes. Personally my experiences with them were NOT good. Care on the other hand, we have had nothing but positive experiences with. I will not judge an ambulance service simply because they couldn't attend show and tell at a school. Maybe they were too busy. If you will watch, the ambulance is in and out of the ER daily. Also it makes Haynes look good to say they drove all the way from Montgomery for the kiddies even though they don't service the area. Looks real good when you are trying to get back into servicing the area. Bamabunny, I hope your husband is better now. I know that terror of watching a spouse go through things like that and having to deal with the morons that worked with Haynes. I am so thankful when it came to my dad it was Care and Jodie.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 3 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For "Turtle".

Thank you for your kind concern and comments but no...my husband died.

He had severe brain damage due to the absense of oxygen...and it started when his skin color went from pink to that horrid grey/blue that I mentioned when they were trying to in tube him. He survived for 11 days and in a coma after that horrid night.

Those that do a good job need to be recognized and praised and praised as you did Turtle. I honestly feel if CARE had been dispatched that my husband would have had a better chance.

Posted by turtle (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My condolences bamabunny.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 4:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank you Turtle.

As stated...I do not want to see this same nightmare happening to anyone else because of lack of skill and/or training.

When an ambulance is dispatched...they go on a run...do what they need to do and then a report. To them they did their job and rarely know or find out the eventual outcome stemming from their services. Their main job is to stabilize and transport to a medical facility. The fact is that my husband was with air through successful CPR until the ambulance crew arrived and started working on him. Even 3 charges to defib my husband did not work...and 3 more in the ER with the third restarting my husband's heart. Problem was they fumbled the tubation before transport...and fumbled for too long and severe brain damage occurred.

CARE is obviously more professional and their people well trained and that is what we need to serve the community. That is the main issue.

Posted by dtisdale (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 6:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I can assure all citizens that Care Ambulance did not say that WE did not have time to go to the Community Helpers day at Troy Elementary School. WE WERE NOT ASKED TO ATTEND. I am the Area Manager for Care Ambulance Service and manage our Troy location as well as Montgomery, Tallassee, Tuskegee, Prattville, and the SABIC plant. Care Ambulance does put our patients first in all that we do and strive to perform above all other EMS Services in the State of Alabama. Even though we all would prefer perfect service from everyone, including hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, and EMS Services, the fact is that no one, including all of us, are not perfect. Why do citizens wait hours in Emergency rooms and doctors offices? Because sometimes demand exceeds resources no matter how well you plan. It happens in every industry everywhere. The key is for those time to be the exception and not the rule. I can tell you from the facts that is has been the exception with Care Ambulance. That does not come from statements, rumors, or opinions. That is a fact. Every service provider can always improve which is what Care ambulance continues to do on a daily basis. I invite anyone to contact me with questions or concerns regarding ambulance service in Pike County. I can promise you that I will give you facts, not opinions.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 6:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For "dtisdale".

Thank you for your input. I could not agree more with what you said.

I have used CARE services for my mother and found all the people that I came in contact with to be not just professional...but kind and courteous and concerned for the patient's comfort and wellbeing. And one more thing...they were always "crisp" and when I say that I mean uniforms clean and ironed.

I also stand by what I said before. If CARE had been dispatched for my husband that night...I honestly feel he would have had a better chance for survival.

Keep up the good work "CARE".

Posted by jkelly32562 (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 7:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I personally think Pike County should have its very own ambulance service and quit contracting it out. It is more efficient and would help the local economy.

Posted by turtle (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 7:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thanks dtisdale. Like I said, CARE was wonderful in our situations, which unfortunately have been numerous lately, and not only are the considerate with the patient but also looking after the spouses and families who are in a panic state. They take the time to calm everyone down while still doing the job. This has been my personal experience, others may be different but I can only go by what I've experienced with the two companies and in my opinion, CARE is better.

Posted by shiftingshadows (anonymous) on October 29, 2008 at 2:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

First off, I have heard nothing but negative about CARE, when i covered the pike county commission meetings it was always bad... even to the point that care notified pike county it was moving to a central location and taking the dispatcher out of troy... without even letting pike vote on this... which was a direct violation of the contract.... I want a different company.

Posted by shiftingshadows (anonymous) on October 29, 2008 at 2:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Also... pike county having their own ambulance service also was brought up at these pike commission meetings and at the time a guy wanted to start an ambulance service just for here... but the commission informed him that it would be too expensive... just throwing that out there, i am not saying i agree or not...

Posted by fireandice (anonymous) on October 29, 2008 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well it seems to me that no one is ever going to be satisfied with the ambulance services no matter what is done. Any time you have someone in the public service there is always something wrong somewhere. Unfortunately the best people sometimes do what they can and events are out of their control, meaning that no matter what you do, how fast you do it, the result will still be the same. Those not so crisp employees might just be so for a reason as the general public has no idea what events took place just before they go to you and most likely the average person doesn't want to know the details or they would be right on in there doing it to rather than complaining about it. Granted every company has its share of lazy, unkept, cynical, not so social, and even not the sharpest knife in the drawer employees just with any other company, business or service in any walk of life, it is inevitible. The concept of a service going to a career day is important as well as other public relation events. But the truth of the matter is that the citizens of pike county should have been paying attention (if not some already have) to the events that have lead up to this expiring contract. All is not everything that seems to be when you look at the surface. It's kinda like a Where's Waldo, picture sometimes? And not to defend anyone for anything please take into consideration what the crew might be actually dispatched to in the first place if the caller can't give adequate information it cannot be relayed from the 911 operator to the service and there again is opportunity to break down communication as that information received has to be coded into a system and if the receiving operator didn't clearly understand it sorta goes in a general information area and sent further down the line to the responding agency. But as always the responding crew should in fact present themselves professionally and if you have a problem with their response you should have brought it to the persons in charge and not aired here. Obviously it is over and water under the bridge, however I am sorry for your loss.
I think the citizens of Pike county should be involved in the politics of the county, city and towns of Pike throughout the years rather than only when a certain event comes up. And not everything is always negative, I believe that both companies have a lot of great individuals working for them and it's not always the employees fault of how things turn out, it is the upper management of the companies .

Posted by retired (anonymous) on October 29, 2008 at 8:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have had occasion,unfortunately, to use the services of both Haynes and Care. The quality of service from both was great. However, Haynes did not accept my insurance which left me footing the entire bill. That is not important at the time of an emergency, but certainly needs considering before contracting with any service.

Posted by kbarrett (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't think taking cheap shots and spreading untruths will help cover-up the facts surrounding BREACH of the ambulance contract that Pike County has been delt by their current provider. I have informed all Haynes Employees not to come on this forum or any other forum and spread rumors or untruths about any other ambulance providers. We don't have to make others look bad in order to cover up a mound of lies and complaints that have and will be brought forth by the public. In the end the citizens of Pike County will decide which ambulance provider will best serve Pike County by contacting your Commissioner with thoughts and concerns. Haynes Ambulance proudly served Pike County for 18 years and we look forward to serving Pike County for the next 18 years to come.

Sure there are a lot of "horror stories" that we could bring out in this forum about the ambulance service in Pike County over the last year, but I would like to encourage my employees to reframe from these dirty tactics. We stand on our reputation for providing quality ambulance service and there is no need in lowering our professional standards just because the competition is "bashing us" in order to improve their reputation in Pike County right here before contract time.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For "fire and ice"

You mentioned being "clear" when calling 911. How much clearer can one get by saying "my husband is not breathing"?

By calling 911 the number of the caller is displayed as well as the address of the caller.

Everything I personally mentioned in an earlier post was in front of God and true to fact...down to the blood on the carpet...and 4 teeth snapped to the roots...and the sauntering up to the door and rap music blasting on the cab radio. The chat at the back of the ambulance while retrieving their equipment was short lived when I screamed "Get the *&*$%#$^ IN HERE HE IS NOT BREATHING!!!!!!!!" that stopped and interupted that gathering. They still sauntered slowly up the sidewalk. When the crew entered the bedroom...it was like "oh geeeez she's not kidding! He is NOT breathing on his own." It was then and only then they decided to rush to it taking into consideration too that a well known doctor and friend was helping me maintain my husband and in the same room.

Nothing will bring my husband back but I can try to prevent something like this from happening to someone else and their family by bringing to light what happened to him. The fact that time is of the essence and well trained crews (that includes professional demeanor) are mandatory in every sense.

One crew's actions reflect negatively or positively on the entire ambulance company. I have had encounters with all companies.

"CARE" is clearly the best.

Posted by OldSchoolPike3Worker (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Blissfullygreen, I with you!!!! Let's get Haynes back!!!! I think that I'm going to call right..............Wait a minute, I don't know who my county commisioner is! Oh well, so much for that idea.

Posted by kbarrett (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Bamabunny.... I am sorry to hear of this unfortunate story, can you give me an approximate date, I would like to do an investigation into this matter.

Posted by CAD3 (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Kbarrett,,, way to take the high road, in one statement you say " I have informed all Haynes Employees not to come on this forum or any other forum and spread rumors or untruths about any other ambulance providers"...then in the next sentence you say "We don't have to make others look bad in order to cover up a mound of lies and complaints that have and will be brought forth by the public".

If that is your idea of leadership then that is exactly why the employees are coming on here and making comments about other companies. You should understand your employees follow your lead if you walk around making comments about other companies then that is what they are going to do.

Why not keep your comments to your self and when the Bid comes out, submit your information and the county and city elected officals will make a decision that is best for us.

You seem to be trying to inject your self into a process that has not started yet.

If there are complaints/issues the City has a process to review them through the 911 Director and they will come to light; but until that happens, or you are asked to provide service you should refrain yourself from commenting.

Posted by shiftingshadows (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 3:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It is true though, when i covered Pike Commission there were a ton of complaints... one was a women who said CARE was dispatched to her house, her husband was having a heart attack... 15 minutes later they still hadnt got there, they claimed to be on the exact road and almost there, another 15 minutes went by and still no one was there.... she then had to take her husband to the hospital herself and says she didnt see any ambulance anywhere on the way to the hospital...

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Let me first ask you "kbarret" who are you? And how am I supposed to give you further info without the privacy and dignity that my husband deserved along with mine being breached?

I will tell you though it was investigated.

Give me the info I need from you for me to even consider releasing private information. I am certainly not going to post info in the newspaper.

Posted by muffinman (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 9:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I would like to make a suggestion. I have found that some previous employees that have worked with both services have opened my eyes about both services. They are not employed by either service and have great insight on services provided in this county. They have a wealth of information and a great insight. People along with local leaders should seek them out and value their experiences with both services. It may open some peoples eyes who are seeking the best service for our area.

Posted by kbarrett (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 10:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CAD3....We did not start this garbage. If you will read the blog you will see that our employees are not the ones making comments about other companies. What I have stated are facts. I am not the one stirring the pot here, nor did I mix the ingredients that are boiling in that pot. In fact, I made the earlier comments to our employees to ensure that we are not affiliated with the "name calling" because I don't want to have any part of this mess when the s#$& hits the fan.

We will submit our bid when the time comes.

So far as "injecting myself into a process that has not yet started", read the main article. More specifically the second sentence. The process has started.

When did the 911 director become the ambulance complaint spokesman. Again refer to the article, third sentence. The County is considering an ambulance board to handle these complaints because no system is currently in place as you suggest.

As to being asked to provide service, the outcry from the Citizens and Officials of Pike County has been overwhelming for Haynes Ambulance to return to Troy. I guess, in your opinion, this gives us the right to continue commenting.

And by the way, you never mentioned or defended the "Breach of contract" comment??

Posted by kbarrett (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 10:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

bamabunny.... I did not ask for confidential information. You have already given the information. All I asked for is an approximant date.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 30, 2008 at 10:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Give me a number and tell me who you are and your position and I would be very happy to speak with you.

Posted by kbarrett (anonymous) on October 31, 2008 at 7:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Kirk Barrett
Chief Operating Officer
Haynes Ambulance of Alabama Inc.

Montgomery 265-1208
Wetumpka 514-7911
New Troy Station 566-0518

Again all I need is an approimate date.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 31, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank you Kirk...I will be calling you today.

Posted by muffinman (anonymous) on October 31, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I was under the understanding that all problems and praises were going through the county. What is the deal with the 911 Director? Does anybody know what is going on? This maybe why my complaints about Care have not been looked at.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 31, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I want to comment about the call I made to Kirk Barret.

We had a lengthly conversation this morning and I found him to be most professional in every aspect. His number one priority is for his company at Haynes to be the best possible for all that need emergency services or any type of ambulance service needed.

I have tremendous respect for him and his position. If there are concerns from people with the company I have no doubt that all will be handled by him professionally and in the right way and as it should be.

I personally am very satisfied at what he told me...how he told me...and about what he plans to do.

Thank you Kirk.

Posted by inaword (anonymous) on October 31, 2008 at 6:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Kirk and Bunny, Ya'll make this story worth reading. Problem presented, problem addressed.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on October 31, 2008 at 9:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thank you "inaword". Nothing ever gets solved unless there is mutual respect coming from both sides...and both sides listening to one another. We had that today on the phone.

Thanks for your kind comment.

Posted by justpayattention (anonymous) on November 1, 2008 at 8:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I am really proud of Bamabunny and kbarrett for discussing the issues that have been brought up in this blog. I shows that two adults can sit down and discuss things and can come to an understanding. I also want ot know what the deal is with the 911 director and what the role of that person is. I have noticed over the past few days that dtisdale and CAD3, who had very strong postings havent replied to anything that has taken place in the past few days.

Posted by muffinman (anonymous) on November 1, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I would like to comment on the community helpers day. This day is very important not only for the ambulance service but also the police and fire. Emergency situations have a high degree of emotional stress on everyone and really works on childern. Letting the kids touch and play with items that may one day be used on them sometimes takes a little stress away. Also if a loved one is being treated they can relate to those that spent time with them which can be a large comfort to them. Community service is not just about responding when the alarm goes off.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on November 1, 2008 at 10:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For "justpayattention".

Thank you for your kind comment. As always things can be discussed rationally on an adult level if there is mutual respect...and we both entered the conversation with just that.

Posted by Bamabunny (anonymous) on November 1, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For "muffinman".

You bring up a very valid point. When children are growing up...we as parents try to protect them as much as possible...and the real world to them can be very scary. Unfortunately that "real world" can devastate them if they do not have the understanding that we have as adults and about things that need to be done.

Explanations on their own level is very important.

IE: "Never talk to strangers." In school that very subject is discussed. But the lesson in school may include an example of a person walking in front of them in the classroom dressed in a dark over coat labeled as a "stranger" and looking acary. They need to know that any person they do not know is a "stranger". A "stranger" trying to get a child's attention is not going to be wearing a dark overcoat.

So teaching children about what can happen in real life such as using emergency equipment...fire and police situations should be taught through a child's eyes...and on a child's level. I'm sure that on "Community Helpers Day"...all concerned take that into consideration with their presentations. The most effective slogan for safety I think I have heard that children remember is if a fire occurs..."stop...drop...and roll"...and that is something they will never forget. Short sweet and easy to remember.

Posted by dtisdale (anonymous) on November 2, 2008 at 11:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Like I said before Care Ambulance is here to provide the best service possible to the citizens of all counties. Anyone can have a conversation with someone and be very persuasive and sound really good. The difference here is what have we done. The Pike County Commission was convinced that Care would be able to provide superior service compared to the other services that submitted a bid. We have provided that service. Are we perfect? No we are not. The difference here is that I will not promise something that we cannot deliver. We have always and will always do our very best to provide excellent service to all of our customers in all locations. In regard to the dispatch comment, would you rather have one person that is isolated only viewing the Troy area when things get busy or have someone who can view all surroundings areas and be able to send resources to that area before all the resources are depleted? The local dispatch sounds good but in reality a dispatcher who can see all surrounding areas is a much better plan to be able to use all available resources when appropriate. There have been complaints for Haynes as well as Care. There will always be complaints no matter how well any service handles calls. The difference here is Care provided better managed resources in which the County agreed were better than any other provider who bid. No industry can staff and plan for the worse case scenario everyday. If they did they would be bankrupt in a matter of months. We should always put our customers first and put together a plan that best serves the public which is what Care has done. I hope that the citizens will see that a "hope" message" is only words no action. Action in an emergency is whats counts. Care has done well in that respect and will continue to do so in the next 3 years. Please call me if you have any concerns or complaints.

Douglas Tisdale
Area Manager, Montgomery, Tallassee, Tuskegee, Autauga, Troy, and SABIC
Cell- 334-850-2636
Office- 334-386-3802
email- dtisdale@lifestar-response.net

Posted by punkin443 (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

First let me start by saying that I worked for Care for a few months, so I know what the company is like. I know for a fact that local dispatch is far superior to centralized dispatch. Someone in another county will not know all the roads and locations in Pike county and will not be able to give you accurate directions. A local dispatcher that is from the county will know where you are going and the fastest possible route. Both companies use the same dispatch software, and I can tell you by experience that half of the roads in Pike county do not show up in the mapping system. If you have a 4 digit county road number, you will not show up in the system...I know because I tried to find my old Pike county address in the system and it DID NOT show up. If you have a dispatcher who knows the old and new road numbers it is much better. And as for bring able to keep track of all of your trucks, the dispatch software allows you to watch several different cities at once, so if you can watch them from Montgomery you can watch them from Troy also. All you have to do is put all of the cities on your dispatch screen at one time, and make a phone call if you need additional help in your area..that is what phones are for.

Going back to dtisdale's comment about not being invited to the community helpers day...Care was invited to attend and they refused. He WAS NOT the manager for that area at the time, so how does he know.

The problem with Care is not the employees...I know because I was one for a short time. (And no, I was not fired...I left because I could not handle working for that company any more.) When the rules for the employees change on a daily basis, and so does the management, you cannot expect the employees to keep up.

I hope the people of Pike county will stand up and voice their opinions when the contract bids come back in and the decision has to be made. Would you rather have a company that sends their ambulances to cover other cities all the time and leaves Pike county uncovered, or one that will keep their trucks available for Pike county citizens...think about it. As everyone has said so far, no company is perfect, but I think the current one has shown it's true colors lately. The amount of complaints that have been made about their services should say something. When the company cares more about how clean their trucks are, but not about patient care and public realtions... this is not a car and truck show, this about giving good care to the citizens and saving lives.

Posted by fireandice (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 9:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

you go punkin443 !! woohoo !!!, it's amazing how management changes on a regular basis there and the correct information just doesn't seem to be passed on from manager to manager. Why is it that just about the time the contract comes up old managers show up to be involved in something they have not had one thing to do with in some time. hmmm what do you suppose that reason might be??
and dispatching from a centralized location, well if it's so dang good why is it that it takes 20 to 45 minutes or an hour to get a truck on scene, (it takes about that long to run from ozark or montgomery, don't you think)

Posted by justpayattention (anonymous) on November 3, 2008 at 11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well let me begin with You tell it punkin443!!!!!! The sad thing about it is that the people of Pike county DO NOT have a clue about what goes on behind the doors of the current ambulance company. It is like what was said by muffinman, you need to find the people who used to work there and just ask them a few questions.
In reply to Mr. Tisdale, You can not honestley sit there and try to pretend that you are providing the best care possible. It wasnt until this past month that you added the fourth truck that was supposed to be there all along.....It wasnt until resently that you had fully staffed trucks. Your oh so great CAD system isnt flawless by any means. I live inside pike county and guess what you cant enter my address and have it geocode. That problem lies further than you. People want an ambulance service that is going to be there when 911 is dialed, with the hope that they will be there in a quick and timely manor. Fireand ice had a point, if anyone would do the math they could see that the time frames are very lengthy. Plus having a small operation you would think that you would be familier with the crews, but when you ask "Where are you all from?", you get everywhere but Troy. There is a huge Problem!!!!!!!
About the dispatch.... I want to know that if it is that one person sitting there, that they are familier with the county and not have to take the chance that one of your other stations is busy and your centralized dispatch doesnt forget about PIke county. Tell me that your centralized dispatch is aware of everything. Does your centralized dispatch answer for the delays in dispatch? People of Pike county dont know that you all pulled the wool over there eyes on how the calls are taking. Let me lay it out for them:
911 is dialed
911 center in Troy answers
caller states I need an ambulance
they transfer it to MOntgomery
the call is taken
it is then entered into the CAD and a Dothan dispatcher picks it up and then gives it to the crew in Troy.
There is a 3 to 5 minute delay in dispatching. There lies yet another problem. 3 to 5 minutes that has pasted for no reason. Then that crew has to get up look it up on a map and then go. You are looking a about a 8 minute time lasp that the one person can do and have them out in 5 minutes if that long. Those few minutes can cost someone there LIFE! YOu cant say it cant be done because it was done for many many years before you all came into the picture.

Posted by fireandice (anonymous) on November 4, 2008 at 7:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For justpayattention you have got a handle on the situation I do believe, that's called paying attention which is what everyone should be doing

Posted by ConcernedCitizen08 (anonymous) on November 4, 2008 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I feel that there are a few things that need to be addressed. There are opinions and only half truths posted so far. I understand there have been things said and some not done. However, no company is going to be perfect. You can't say that you are definitely going to do something not knowing what the future holds. All you can guarantee is that you will do everything in your power to do what you say you will do.

I understand that Haynes was here for 18 years, and then CARE came in and took the contract. However, if Haynes truly cared about the citizens of Pike County and Troy, why didn't they stay and continue to run a service in Pike County and Troy? That reason would be finances. It was not financially feasible to have a service in a town where they did not have a subsidy. If Haynes was so good for the area they could have run CARE out of town. Why didn't they stay?

CARE is overall a good company. However, it has problems just like ALL companies do. It's employees are very professional at all times. They wear uniforms, which are required to be pressed and ironed before every shift. They do take care of their trucks because if you don't take care of your equipment then you can't rely on it to help save the life of your patient. Over half of the employees that are currently working in Troy are from Troy. Also, justpayattention, you don't know much about CARE apparently because the 911 is not set up that way. CARE gets dispatched at the same time the Troy FD gets toned out. Maybe you should get your information from different sources?

Also, CARE was not invited to the show and tell. CARE has never turned down an opportunity to do that with little children. Once again I think people need to make sure their information is accurate before posting. Information based on opinions and shortcomings is what has caused a lot of this mess in the first place.

As far as Haynes is concerned, I think they have crappy business practices. They come into Troy when they aren't the service that serves the area, which might be why they were able to attend because CARE was taking care of the citizens that needed an ambulance, and basically do underhanded business deals. Would you want a company like that serving your area? I know I wouldn't.

Even with all of this being said, decisions should be based off fact and not opinions. I think the citizens of Pike County and Troy have forgotten just how bad Haynes had gotten before CARE came. If Haynes gets the contract for Pike and Troy I hope CARE stays. I would rather walk to the hospital than ride in a Haynes ambulance!!

Posted by punkin443 (anonymous) on November 4, 2008 at 10:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think we need to set some more things straight. The information that was given was accurate and truthful. How much more accurate can you get than from the woman who invited care to the community helpers day...she stated when she had to request another service to come that care had refused. Sounds pretty accurate to me. Can you explain your comment about dispatch? Can you tell me that if they are dispatched with the fire department, why it still takes them sometimes upwards of 30 minutes to get on scene..especially when you can ride by the station and see all 4 trucks sitting on the lot? How can you explain why patients are having to go to the hospital by car because they have waited at the scene for more than 45 minutes and still haven't seen an ambulance. Why do they have medics sitting in the truck on calls while their BASIC partners are providing care...care that they are not licensed to give. Why does a school nurse have to administer care and get equipment out of the truck while the medic sits in the front seat of the truck talking on the phone...last time i checked, the medics job was to administer the care once on scene and the partner was to ASSIST. Can you explain why a company that has been in pike county for 3 years still has to have a police escort into a scene because they can't find the location? How great is that centralized dispatch looking now? As for your comment about haynes coming into an area that they are not contracted to service...would you turn down a call from that area requesting your help. Every time they have returned to the area it has been becuase care said that they couldn't provide the service needed at the time. And yes that is accurate too...it is coming from the prople who had to make the calls requesting haynes to respond. And by the way..the day of the community helper standby, all of the care trucks were at the station with the employees on the front porch talking....were they too busy then? And yes that is accurate too...i rode by the station and saw them 10 minutes before the standby occured. When it comes down to it, pressed uniforms and spotless trucks with "TIRES SHINING" doesn't compensate for poor patient care and an unprofessional attitude on scene. It doesn't give peace of mind to families that are in distress becuase they can't get an ambulance on scene for their loved one. It's sad when you can go anywhere in troy, see a care truck roll down the road, and hear the citizens joke about "well, i guess they are going to actually make a call today... if they can find where they need to go." I've heard that while standing in a gas station in troy recently. Just some things to think about..seeing as how you are a concerned citizen.

Posted by fireandice (anonymous) on November 5, 2008 at 4:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well Haynes may have their shortcomings but it seems to me that if this company was so underhanded they wouldn't make an effort to get permission from the State of Alabama to provide service in Pike county for a certain time period such as Cattlemans Assoc,/ Troy University Rodeo, various other events recently, because the current services couldn't be there for whatever the reason.

Staying in Pike County without a contract, hmm under the circumstances of how those events occured during that time, this was a correct choice to pull out, not the best one but one that happened

And I certainly hope that when and if Haynes does come back to Pike County, you in fact do not need an ambulance for any reason that would require you to feel you need to walk yourself to the hospital, however if you do require the services of an ambulance I do believe that company will transport you and provide care to you even though you don't like it at all nor like the people who are taking care of you because it has a certain name on the side of the truck.

Believe me things change in an emergency ( A TRUE EMERGENCY)

Posted by justpayattention (anonymous) on November 6, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

To concernedcitizen08....
It seems to me that you are more concerned with how clean trucks are and how much starch in the uniforms more than you are with YOUR patient care....and you feel so strong that how you look and and if that truck sparkles, I guess it will be a long "WALK" to the hospital. But then again like fireandice stated you change in a true emergency.
I agree fully on the comment of taking care of the equipment. That is just comman scence.
Furhter more on you comment on "beibg toned out at the same time as the FD".....you make me laugh. Again read the steps again they are not hard to follow. AS soon as the caller says I need an ambulance the FD gets toned the call is transfered, follow the rest of the steps......
As far as underhanding .... There has not been any underhanding by haynes, everything that they have been doing was by SPECIAL REQUEST, wonder why that is?

Posted by dtisdale (anonymous) on November 8, 2008 at 9:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For Punkin443:

You put a tremendous amount of statements in your post. The problem here though is that they are not true. I would encourage you to give me one single fact to back up all of those wild crazy statements. Does anyone truly believe a Paramedic would sit in the fron seat and talk on the phone during an emergency? I think not! Would a EMT Basic perform ALS skills and jeopardize their licensure? I don't think so. My contact information is above and I encourage you to get out from behind punkin443, and bring your facts with you.

Posted by punkin443 (anonymous) on November 9, 2008 at 6:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To dtisdale....its funny to me that the citizens of pike county seem to know more about your employees than you do. Why don't you start asking around with some of the agencies that respond with Care and see if they don't tell you what is REALLY going on. Ask the county school nurse if she was lying about the medic sitting in the truck while her BASIC partner did all of the patient care. This has happened on more than one occasion. Why don't you start paying attention to what is happening at the Troy station and keep track of your supervisors...even those who have so far been in their own words "untouchable". I'm sure you will find, if they haven't been disposed of, complaints that were registered by employees on these superviors while i still worked there. nothing was ever done because the complaints were called a "witch hunt" on this particular person. Dig into the files and do your research and you will find that your employees are good at hiding their indiscretions from you, after all..they are in troy and you are in montgomery...its easy to hide from upper management if you want to.

Posted by dispatcher7 (anonymous) on November 12, 2008 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

to all concerned, i worked with care ambulance and let me tell you that the people of pike county had a signed contract with care and the higher ups made up their minds to stop dispatching in troy and they did it. i was working a 24 hour shift because they didn't have but three dispatchers at the time,(the supervisor quit and went to haynes) so we all pulled together and started the 24 hour shifts. i got a call from my boss in montgomery and he informed me he would be in troy the next morning and i was to wait for him because he had told the one coming in behind me not to come in. dispatch was moving to montgomery. that is all the notification we got. and the county commish that had come in and seen that the computer did not show the driver how to get to a location did not even show up at the meeting to face the man that came to the next meeting. that shows me that the people of pike county can't count on the commision to stand up for them. but because they didn't take action against care proves that they are only there for show not for action. the care company took advantage of us and the commision didn't stand up and fight. i've lost trust in all of them execpt charlie harris, hes the only one at the meeting who stood up for the people of pike county.

Posted by dispatcher7 (anonymous) on November 12, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

to dtisdale: the truth of the matter is that one of the supervisors in troy( who by the way is not from troy) has a unusual relationship with one of the higher ups in montgomery, she took a emt basic who had just passed the test to be a medic and went on a run on us hwy 10 in brundidge and left that basic there and went with the clio unit to take one of the injured to the chopper. this should have at least gotten her a write up, but nothing was ever said about it. she always got away with more than any of the other supervisors, why? you tell me. and this same medic was one of the slowest people in the troy office, and i addressed this many times,( to the group in montgomery and the area supervisor in dothan) never once did they address this. and i had every thing i needed to prove this to the mighty ones in montgomery and dothan but they had other things to take care of.that wasn't the only thing that happened but i would hate to tell you things you already know and never did anything about!!!!!!!!!tell all of pike county that this is not true and i'll produce the paperwork to prove it, and i can have it to the messenger in 2 to 3 days time..... just let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!