Washington Twp. Getting 24/7 EMS Staffing

Starting the first week in September people having an emergency in the Washington Township area will see faster response times.

The Washington Township Fire Department and Community Ambulance are teaming up to have a Community Ambulance squad and EMS team based out of the township’s station 24 hours a day.

This will allow the volunteer Washington Township first responders to go directly to the scene of an incident without first having to come to the station.

“In essence we’re actually putting people on the scene we hope quicker than what we did before because those individuals had to come here to get the squad and then drive back out to that remote location. Hopefully this way it’s a win/win for everybody,” says Chief Gene Hanning.

Having a Community team based out of the station is expected to help reduce response times in the area from 10 to 15 minutes to less than five.

This is the first partnership like this in Muskingum County, but the director of Community Ambulance says they’re already used to working closely with other public safety agencies.

“Everyone works together as a team to provide the highest level of public safety despite what the emergency is, whether it’s a fire or car accident or someone just having a seizure we work together with all the other agencies to provide that high level of care,” says director Phil Koster.

Washington Township decided to partner with Community Ambulance due to a lack a volunteers. The new arrangement will not cost the taxpayers, it will be paid for from money earned from going on calls.