Supervisors question county’s role in ambulance service

Panola County supervisors expressed frustration Monday with Lifeguard, the county’s ambulance service, prompting Board President Cole Flint to question whether county government should continue subsidizing a private business to provide emergency medical transportation.

The discussion followed an appearance by county resident Laura Ann Renfroe, herself a medical professional familiar with emergency care, who raised concerns about ambulance availability and response times during emergencies.

Panola County recently approved a $600,000 annual contract providing four full-time ambulances and a quick-response vehicle (QRV) assigned to the lieutenant on duty. The QRV cannot transport patients.

Despite that commitment, supervisors acknowledged there are occasions when all ambulances are occupied, leaving residents waiting for emergency assistance.

Renfroe described two situations in which ambulance service was unavailable or significantly delayed. She said her concern extended beyond those incidents to other residents who might face similar circumstances.

“We gotta have a solution,” Renfroe told supervisors, acknowledging there might not be a perfect answer.

Her comments prompted discussion about the county’s ambulance contract, demands on emergency personnel and the difficulty of maintaining adequate coverage.

Flint questioned why supervisors are expected to make decisions involving medical transportation when they have no medical training, citing examples of friends and constituents calling his personal phone to ask for his help in speeding up an ambulance.

Flint said he and other supervisors are perceived by some citizens as having the authority to tell ambulance dispatchers which calls to choose when the service is overwhelmed.

“Let’s separate ourselves from medical decisions and medical assessments,” Flint said. “I don’t understand how we need to be involved.”

He expressed frustration with recurring disagreements over hospital transfers and the allocation of ambulances between emergency calls and transporting patients to other medical facilities.

A routine transfer to Oxford, for example, can take an ambulance out of service for at least two hours, while a trip to St. Francis Hospital in Memphis can require more than three hours, he noted.

Those lengthy trips complicate scheduling and leave fewer ambulances available for emergencies.

Flint also pointed to Batesville’s unusually large daytime population, estimating it can swell to more than 70,000 during business hours.

Located at the intersection of Interstate 55 and U.S. Highway 6, Batesville draws workers, shoppers and travelers from across the region, creating demands on emergency services beyond its residential population.

Flint suggested investigating whether the county could withdraw from its current arrangement and leave ambulance operations entirely to private providers.

He questioned why county government should guarantee revenue for a for-profit ambulance company when it does not provide similar support to other private businesses.

Flint also said no state law requires the county to subsidize ambulance service.

Other supervisors questioned whether withdrawing financial support would adequately protect residents who depend on emergency medical services.

The discussion also addressed the expense of increasing coverage.

Flint said estimates indicate adding another ambulance would cost more than $600,000, while available service data does not currently demonstrate a need for another unit.

That leaves supervisors weighing additional expenses against complaints from residents who have experienced delays.

Board members also discussed whether 911 dispatchers should provide follow-up information when ambulances are delayed or unavailable, rather than leaving callers uncertain about when help might arrive.

Supervisors questioned how frequently neighboring counties are asked to provide assistance when Panola County’s ambulances are occupied and how often those requests are unsuccessful.

Those figures could help determine whether existing coverage meets the county’s emergency medical needs.

Flint said the county has wrestled with ambulance service issues for years, including disagreements over hospital transfers and complaints about availability.

No formal action was taken Monday to terminate or revise the contract.

For now, the arrangement remains in place, but supervisors face continuing questions about the cost of ambulance service and whether residents can depend on help arriving when they need it.