CRITTENDEN COUNTY, Ark. -— Residents in the rural parts of Crittenden County, Arkansas, are in a dangerous situation. The ambulance service they rely on isn’t performing at full strength.
It’s a private company called “Crittenden EMS.”
“It is definitely frustrating to not be able to provide the high level of care that we’re normally used to providing to our community,” said Hudson Hallum, the company’s service director.
Hallum says the problem started Friday when the company’s medical director resigned for personal reasons but agreed to temporarily stay on in a lesser role.
That means the ambulance service currently isn’t licensed to perform certain procedures. For example, if someone’s having a heart attack, paramedics can’t administer drugs that could save that patient’s life. Instead, they would have to call a partnering agency like the West Memphis Fire Department for help.
“It does, you know, create delays,” Hallum said.
Crittenden EMS is critical in rural parts of the county like Edmondson, where 75-year-old resident Fred Fleming is concerned about the reduction in service.
“Yeah, I’m worried about it but, you know, what can I do about it?” he said.
Hallum said he hired a new medical director Monday and obtained a needed license from the Drug Enforcement Administration Wednesday night. Now, he says he has to buy new medications and get his ambulances ready so they can be re-inspected by the Arkansas Department of Health. If they pass, Crittenden EMS will be back at full strength.
“We never anticipated this situation and what would happen if we had a sudden resignation or loss of a medical director,” Hallum said, “You don’t realize until it happens the amount of time and red tape that is involved.”
Hallum estimates it’ll take about a week to clear those hurdles and get back to providing full service.
WREG has also learned the state department of health is investigating Crittenden EMS for possible regulatory regulations but officials say that investigation has nothing to do with the medical director’s resignation but it’s unclear how that investigation might impact service.
