By Nate Smith, Staff Writer
SHOALS — Another complaint about the county’s ambulance service was heard at Tuesday’s Martin County Commissioner’s meeting. This time, the complaint came from one in the medical emergency community.
Byron Christie, an EMT with Gibson County for 15 years, voiced his concerns about the service after witnessing problems with their care during an accident on May 26 involving his brother-in-law.
“I had four basic patient care issues that were done wrong,” Christie said. “When I got there, I identified who I was. I didn’t get a word out of (the county EMT).”
Among the patient care issues Christie noticed were not immobilizing his head for a possible spinal injury. Per regulations, Christie said, a patient’s head is to be held still and a collar placed over his neck for a spinal injury. Christie said none of this was done.
The EMT also noticed that the splints placed on his brother-in-law’s legs, following an accident where a truck rolled over onto them, were not done properly.
“I’ve tested basic EMTs out and I would have failed this guy,” Christie said.
Also a problem during the care was blood pressure. Christie noticed signs of shock and no one from Martin County Ambulance did anything about it. Also, no questions were asked about the patient’s medical history.
“If you have someone in shock, you need to get him fluids,” Christie. “If he would have been worse, he would not be here today.”
Christie told commissioners when he tried to intervene, after identifying who he was, the EMT from MC Ambulance told him to “back off.” On the report of the medical run, the EMT, who was not named during the meeting, wrote that Christie’s help was not needed.
The commissioners also learned that Christie tried to speak with the managers of the service about it. They said to him that although he is state-certified as an EMT, he is only a first responder in Martin County.
“Everything they did is a direct violation (of state regulations) and I hate to say it, pathetic,” Christie said.
No one from MC Ambulance was present at the meeting, but Commissioner Paul George said he had spoken to the service about the allegations and they said they were not going to discuss it publicly.
“They said they would not be here tonight, but they said we all could sit down and work this out,” George told Christie.
Other complaints against the service were lodged last year as its contract was up for renewal, which the service tried to blame on the Sheriff’s Department for bad dispatching. The department came back with tapes that proved they were not at fault.
Commissioner Dan Gregory said he would try to learn from everyone what happened.
“Personally, I need to think about this for a while,” Gregory said. “I know there are two sides to every story.”
Christie said he was prepared to go to the state EMS Commission to present his findings.
In other business:
NEW HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT
The county is hiring a new highway superintendent after the resignation of Darrell Courtright.
Jim Williams was introduced during the commissioner’s meeting as the interim superintendent, to be reevaluated after 90 days. Courtright has accepted a position at NSWC Crane, effective Monday.
Department heads, along with the commissioners, thanked Courtright for his service.
“I hopefully not regret leaving but I will miss this circus that has been part of my life for such a long time,” Courtright said.
PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
The commissioners approved the destruction of equipment in the prosecutor’s office.
Prosecutor Mike Steiner said in a letter the equipment, damaged in a fire last year, was not salvageable. The destruction was approved, 3-0.
DLGF OFFICE
A representative with the Department of Local Government Finance asked for office space in the courthouse. The commissioners approved for some office space in the Recorder’s office, provided he works during business hours only.
