Aliceville mayor discusses why additional ambulance is necessary for residents
ALICEVILLE, Ala. (WCBI) – After a series of ups and downs, the Pickens County Commission decided in March that it had to start its own ambulance service.
After a partnership with the Lamar County Management Team for the Lamar County Ambulance, they were granted an emergency license to help out Pickens County.
The first ambulance service is housed in Carrollton, and last week, Pickens County received a second brand new ambulance, housed at the Aliceville National Guard Armory.
Aliceville Mayor Terrence Windham said that he has felt that his city was left behind when it came to Emergency Medical Services. He has been adamant about having a second ambulance unit located in Aliceville.
“We do have our wonderful doctors, and this takes nothing away from them, but they can only see so many people,” Windham said. “The hospital closed. Proportionally, the majority of other people in the county can get to hospitals quickly. The Aliceville area is about 45 minutes away from the closest hospital. So that’s where I felt like we were kind of lacking.”
A collaborative effort among mayors, county commissioners, surrounding communities, and state representatives, along with grant money, has helped Pickens County secure a second fully staffed, 24-hour ambulance service.
“Nobody can take it away from you now. It belongs to Pickens County. The money that’s generated, it’s all theirs. So this has fallen together nicely,” said Glenn Crawford of the Lamar County Management Team.
Windham said Aliceville is the most populated city in Pickens County, with a heavy elderly population. It is also home to the Federal Correctional Institution, various industries, and schools. That’s why he felt the ambulance was a necessary addition to the city.
“So it makes it more critical because it helps the entire county. It provides a second unit to come inside of the county, so that way we provide backup. But for Aliceville specifically, it allows us to know that at least if an emergency happens, those industries can say, ‘Hey, we do have an ambulance.’ And it also helps with business recruitment and retention. Some businesses may look at that and say, ‘Hey, this is a reason to relocate somewhere else.’ Or some businesses, now that we do have this ambulance service, may see it as an opportunity to come to Aliceville and locate their business,” Windham said.
Mayor Windham said when it comes to EMS, there are more advances he would like to see in Pickens County in the future.
“This is a good stepping stone, but this is definitely not it,” Windham said. “Aliceville is in need, and our entire county is in need of an emergency standalone facility or a facility that can see people on an emergency basis. The next step in this phase, outside of some funding issues to make sure that we can continue to remain solvent with this ambulance service, is to try to recruit, or procure, some standalone emergency operating rooms.”
Pickens County Commissioner Patti Fuller said the county would eventually like to have a 3rd ambulance drop-off spot in the northern part of the county to better serve around 18,000 citizens.
